


Shared Pain (Grimm x Human male reader)

by AvocadoMunch



Category: Hollow Knight (Video Games)
Genre: Action & Romance, Angst, Fluff and Angst, Hollow Knight Spoilers, M/M, Reader-Insert, The Grimm Troupe DLC (Hollow Knight)
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-19
Packaged: 2021-03-07 15:50:33
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 27
Words: 45,988
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26750155
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AvocadoMunch/pseuds/AvocadoMunch
Summary: Things aren't going well within your circle of friends. People are beginning to mistrust each other and grow distant as they grow older. Starting your senior year of college, you only have one friend to turn to after the others begin to spread rumors about you. You hope that something, anything would change for the better about your life.-Completed-(CONTENT WARNING) Some scenes in this story contain instances of domestic violence and homophobia. If this topic deeply triggers you then I advise against reading this story.
Kudos: 25





	1. Mistrust

**Author's Note:**

> Hi! I'm Avocado, but I also go by Munch (it's my nickname on discord). I'm new to writing, having started about a month ago. I'm a huge fan of Hollow Knight, so most if not all of my stories will be Hollow Knight. This story won't' necessarily have a schedule for updates, but I will update it when I am able. Thanks for checking this story out, and I hope you like it!

You were at the library, typing up an essay for your statistics class. It was around 3:00 in the afternoon and you were hungry, having not eaten lunch. You stand up and begin to walk away when you feel someone tap your shoulder. 

"Hey, (y/n)," You heard your friend Hanna's voice from behind you.

You turn around and say tiredly, "Oh hi, Hanna. How have you been?"

"I've been pretty good, but that's not important right now," Hanna said with sudden urgency in her voice. "Amanda and Becky are talking shit about you."

This caught your full attention as you look her in the eyes and ask, "Why? I haven't done anything."

"Not according to them," She said pulling out her phone. "Remember the party on 12th street?" 

"Yeah, why?" You asked, faint memories of a party you went to three weeks ago were flashing into your head. 

She showed you a text message group chat between Hanna, Amanda, Becky, and an unknown number. "Look, they said you were perving on them and flaunting your sexuality because you were shitfaced."

Sure enough, the texts read exactly that. You were quick to defend yourself, "But I don't drink, though. My liver can't process alcohol. And I wouldn't have been perving on them. I'm... you know. Gay." You said to her.

"Yeah I know, but there's more." She said, scrolling down. 

Your eyes widened as you read the texts:

**Ugh, he's so fucking gross. he had his hands on me the whole time**

**Who tf invited him?**

**idk, but if i see him at a party again, i'm leaving.**

**just because he's gay, doesn't mean he has to go around and show it off like a fucking badge of honor. what a drunk ass faggot**

You stopped after that one, pushing the phone back into Hanna's hand. Tears were forming in your eyes.

"Hey, you okay?" Hanna asked, putting a hand on your shoulder. 

"What do you think?" You said, your tearful eyes meeting Hanna's hazel ones. 

"Come here." She said, pulling you into a hug. 

You let the tears flow silently from your eyes and down your cheeks, smearing your makeup as you whimpered, "I thought I could trust them. I've known them for so long."

"I know, I know." She said. She pulled away from the hug and placed both her hands on your shoulders. "Listen to me. Just ignore them. They won't do you any harm if you just leave them to themselves. Trust me, they don't know what kind of person they're missing out on." She added with a smile. 

"Thank you, Hanna." You said, smiling and wiping the tears from his eyes. 

"Wanna go get some food?" She asked.

"Sure, where do you wanna go?" you asked back. 

"Your call," she said shrugging her shoulders. 

You thought for a moment before saying, "Pizza Hut?" It was close to campus and relatively cheap, and neither of you had meal plans for the cafeteria within the dorms either. 

"Sounds like a plan," She said, grabbing her purse and slinging around her shoulder. "Also, here's one of these." She said, handing you a makeup removal wipe. "Your mascara is streaming down your face."

"Oh, thanks." You said, rubbing the wipe several times over your face before throwing it away. "Any better?" you asked after getting all of your makeup off.

"Much, now come on." She said, holding the door of the library open for you. 

You two were silent for a while as you walked, but out of curiosity you asked, "Who was the other number in that text chat? The one you didn't have assigned to a contact?"

"Oh I don't actually know. They created that group chat after the party, but I haven't used it." Hanna admitted. 

"Why wait until now to tell me, though?" You asked. 

"I've been busy, you've been busy, and I didn't feel like telling you that right before first semester finals," she said. "Having those thoughts in your head during a test would've made your performance plummet."

You chuckled slightly and said, "Probably, I'm a shit test-taker enough as it is."

"Same here." She said, looking back down at her phone.

You looked down at yours too, and you immediately went into your contacts and blocked Amanda and Becky. You didn't want to receive their texts or calls, especially not after what Becky said in that last text. 

"You still have that old piece of shit?" Hanna asked, looking at your phone. It had cracks all up and down the screen and was on the edge of five years old. 

"Well I can't exactly afford a new one. They're fuckin' expensive." You said, placing the phone in your pocket. 

"Not all of them. You can find some pretty good budget stuff online, you just have to dig for it." She said. Hanna was always one to talk about phones because of how much she loved them. She was obsessed with how they worked, and would always rant when a flagship phone costed too much. "Look at this, 6 gigabytes of RAM. Snapdragon 730. AMOLED display." She said, showing you a phone that was listed at $349.

"What the fuck does any of this mean?" You asked as she scrolled through the specifications of the device. 

"It means its a good buy." She said, putting her phone in her pocket. 

"Well I can't exactly afford $349 right now." You said, sighing. 

"Tell you what, we'll go halfsies," She said. "I'll cover half of the price, you can cover the other half. You can pay me the half that I paid for once you're able to. Deal?" She held her hand out for you to shake it, clearly wanting you to. 

"Hanna, I couldn't possibly ask you to do that for me." You said pushing her hand away from you.

"Well you're technically paying for it, so I don't care." She said, returning her hand to where it was, "Deal?"

You sighed, knowing this wasn't an argument you were going to win, and said, "Deal." Shaking her hand. "I'll get the half I owe you as soon as I can."

"Don't worry too much about it," She said, pulling out her phone and ordering the new one for you online.

You laughed as you saw her enthusiasm towards the smartphone, "You really love phones, don't you?" you asked. 

"What, is it that obvious?" She asked sarcastically, causing another laugh from you as you approached the restaurant. 

"Ladies first," You said, opening the door to the restaurant. You walked in after her, letting the door close behind you. 

~~~

You and Hanna had both finished your pizza, and the waitress had come around with two bills in her hand. 

"Oh no, I'll pay for the both of us." You said, smiling politely at the waitress. 

"Oh, alright." She said, walking away to print a new bill. 

"(y/n), I can pay for myself." Hanna said.

"You just bought me a new phone, the least I can do is pay for your lunch." You said, smiling at Hanna. 

"Again, you're paying me back. And are you sure about this?" She asked. 

"I know I'm a poor college kid, but I get paid tomorrow anyways. I think I can afford a couple of pieces of pizza today," you said, smiling at Hanna. 

"Fair enough," she said. "Thanks." She returned a smile. 

The waitress returned and you gave her your card, when she returned with it after completing the transaction, she said "Have a nice day you two." Before moving on to her next table. 

"Ladies first," Hanna joked, holding the door open and mimicking your voice poorly.

"Oh shut up," You said with a smirk, causing her to laugh. 

As you two walked down the street back to your dorm, you saw a crimson necklace on the ground, with a small circle attached to it. The circle had an intricate design, with what seemed like two large, red, oval eyes with black lines above and below it. "How do I look?" You asked, picking it up and putting it on. 

"Like you're wearing a necklace you found on the street," She said, rolling her eyes. "Now let's get inside." She said as you used your key to enter your dorm. As you made it to your room, you and Hanna stopped outside the door.

"Thank you for today." You said, hugging her. 

"No problem, (y/n)." She said, returning your hug. "Don't let what they said about you get to your head. You're a terrific person, (y/n)," she said, referring to the group chat conversation from earlier. 

You both pulled away from the hug as you looked down into her eyes and said, "I won't. It just sucks because I thought I knew them." 

She looked up into your eyes and said, "I know, but sometimes the people we see as friends can wait a long time to show their true colors."

"Well _my_ true colors are in the pride flag apparently," you said jokingly, remember the text Becky sent about you 'flaunting your sexuality'.

Hanna laughed as she walked away. You heard her car start through her window and listened as she drove off. The words of your former friends flashed into your head again, making you begin to tear up once more. "I wasn't drunk," you quietly whispered to yourself, hoping that you would one day be able to trust your friends again, before deciding to nap before your 7:00 pm music theory class. 

You didn't notice the necklace around your neck begin to glow as you fell asleep.


	2. Unfamiliar Environment

"God, my head..." you said, slowly waking up from your nap. You felt stone on your back instead of your bed, and immediately shot up and began to look around. You were confused and scared, but more than anything cold. You had fallen asleep in a pair of shorts and an oversized hoodie, so your legs began to shiver. You looked at the pomegranate walls that surrounded you and saw a large wooden door. You took your chances and opened the door. "H-Hello?" You stuttered. No response. You walked down the alien hallways that were lit with dim red candles. You heard the faint sound of applause and music as you walked further through the halls. You began to run towards the sounds, still confused as you found where the sound was coming from. "What the hell...?" You whispered as you peered into a door that looked like the backstage of a theater. You saw different figures hurrying around, all wearing weird cloaks and masks. 

"Would you like a seat in the audience? The show just began." Said a deep, rich, masculine voice from behind you. 

"Oh Jesus Christ!" you exclaimed while physically recoiling, the voice scaring you.

"My apologies, I did not mean to startle you," said the voice. You slowly turned around to see who the voice was coming from and was immediately taken aback with fear by who you saw it belonged to. "Hello, I am Grimm," _it_ said, bowing. 

"What are you? Where am I?" You asked with obvious fear in your voice. 

"I am master of this troupe," the strange figure in front of you said. "Are you lost?"

"That's one way of putting it," you said, fearfully keeping your distance from the figure who called himself Grimm. 

"Follow me, I can guide you to the audience section of our tent." He said, gesturing you to follow him. "May I ask how you got lost? The signs to the seating area of our show were very large and hard to miss."

"Seating area? Show? What are you talking about?" You asked frantically. "I-I woke up in an empty room down the hall just minutes ago. I don't know where I am at all."

"Really? Did you sneak your way into our tent overnight?" Grimm asked. "If you needed shelter you could've asked."

"N-no that's not it. I fell asleep in my dorm room, then when I woke up, I was here." You explained still being cautious around the dark figure. He stood a good half foot taller than you.

Grimm turned around to face you and studied you for quite some time. Then he saw the necklace you wore around your neck. "How did you get this?" He asked calmly, gently removing it from your neck. 

"I-I just found it on the ground. I honestly forgot I put it on." You said worried about your own safety. 

"You're not from this dimension, are you?" He said, examining your figure more. 

"This _dimension_?" You asked. 

"Clearly not." He said, placing his hands akimbo as he looked down at you. "This might sound a little strange, but this," he held up the necklace, "was something my ancestors created long ago. They used it to bring people from other worlds into this troupe against their will. The people who put it on would find themselves in our tent and would be bound to servitude of the Nightmare Heart."

"Bound to servitude? Nightmare Heart? Other worlds?" You asked placing your face in your hand. "I've gotta be dreaming right now," you said.

"I hate to say that you're not dreaming. Now tell me, what is your name?" Grimm asked. 

"(y/n), my name is (y/n)." You said, figuring just going along with what Grimm said would be the easiest option right now. 

"And what type of bug are you exactly?" He asked. 

"Bug? What? I'm a human," you said as if it was obvious. 

"A human? We've only heard them in legends," he explained. "Humans, to us, are considered mythological, only heard of in folklore," Grimm explained.

"Well, I come from a place with over seven and a half billion of 'em," you said. 

"That's quite a lot of people," Grimm said, "What are they all like?"

His question was simple, yet hard for you to answer. "Well, everybody's different. We all have our own personalities and characteristics that make us unique from one another. I guess we used to be barbaric and selfish and we always fought each other for power, but that was thousands of years ago." You explained.

"Thousands? How many years old are you, (y/n)?" Grimm asked, fascinated. 

"Twenty-two. Humans don't live incredibly long," you explained. "We usually die at around 75-80 years old."

"So as an entire species, you evolved over time to stop fighting each other?" He asked. "Was it a unanimous decision?"

"Not really. As time went on, we discovered ways to make living easier, which caused us to eventually form our own societies. As our technology developed, so did we," You explained. You had Grimm's full attention. "We became less barbaric and more civilized as time moved on."

"Are you ashamed of how your ancestors used to be?" He asked.

"Well, with how short our lifespans are, we tend to forget our ancestors." You said, "I don't even know who my grandmother's mother is."

"Fascinating..." Grimm said, studying your figure up and down once more. "May I?" He asked, reaching out to place a hand on your arm.

"Are you going to hurt me?" You asked.

"What reason would I have to do such a thing?" He replied with a simple smile. 

"Then go ahead, I guess." You said, nervously holding your arm out. You were slightly curious about how his hands felt as well. 

"Your skin is so... soft." He said, caressing your arm. 

"Yeah, it's also incredibly fragile, so be careful please," you said. His hands felt warm but firm on your arm. It was almost comforting to feel his touch, but you were still nervous about what he would do to you.

"May I inspect your hair as well? Not many bugs here have any hair, mainly just butterflies." He said. 

"Be my guest," you said, lowering your head to make your hair easier for him to touch. 

"This is also incredibly soft. Is that just how humans are... soft?" Grimm asked which made you laugh. 

"I guess, yeah. The human body is super fragile as well. It doesn't take much force to break a limb." You informed him. 

"Why is that?" He asked, pulling his hand away from your hair. 

"I don't know, really," you said, making eye contact with him. "We just are."

"Well, I'll make sure no one does anything that would break any of your limbs." He said, which caused another laugh from you.

"Thanks," you said. "So... how exactly do I get back home?" You asked, clearly it was the question you had been wanting to ask for a while. The sound of loud applause suddenly came from the wall next to you.

"If you'll excuse me, I need to go end the show," Grimm said, hurriedly rushing to the door that went backstage. "Meet me outside once the show is over?" He asked.

"Sure." You said simply.

"Lovely, see you then." He said, quickly rushing onto the stage.

You walked down the hallway and leaned against the wall. "How the fuck will I explain this to my professors?" You whispered to yourself out loud, scanning the hallway you were currently residing in. "Will I even be able to return home at all?"


	3. Those Who Came Before You

"(y/n)!" You heard Grimm's voice call. The show had ended and you watched many bugs file past you through the hallways. You had pulled the hood of your black hoodie up as to not be noticed by anyone. "Did anyone talk to you after the show?"

"No, I hid my face and just kept to myself," You explained. "It seemed to work, no one noticed me."

"Excellent," Grimm said. "Follow me, please."

"Where are we going?" You asked as you followed him through the pomegranate hallways.

"To see my advisor, Divine," Grimm said. "She knows more about how you got here, she might be able to help you get home."

"That's the best news I've heard all day," you said, hurrying up slightly to be next to Grimm rather than behind him.

"Be warned, she's not exactly... well, normal," He said, "I'm assuming all of the bugs here are going to look alien to you, but she'll be the most alien of them all I can imagine."

"What does she look like?" You asked.

"You'll see," he said. You followed him out of the tent and as you exited you got a good look at the world you were held hostage in. There was rain falling from the rocky ceiling above you. The cold water falling onto your head caused you to pull your hood up and put your hands in the large center pocket of the hoodie.

"That is one strange-looking cloak, I must say," Grimm said, looking down at you. "I've never seen one with sleeves."

"Well, it's not a cloak," you explained. "Those went out of fashion decades ago. What I'm wearing is called a hoodie. It's just a simple shirt but with a hood attached to it."

"Cloaks are out of fashion?" He asked. "How do you protect yourself from the elements if you don't wear cloaks?"

"Well, we put on long pants for starters," you explained. "Then we put on a long-sleeved shirt of some kind, then we put a coat or jacket on top of that. Where some people live, they wear thicker coats and put on hats and gloves to protect themselves further from the cold. But, where I live the coldest it gets is 60 degrees."

"60 degrees? What are degrees?" Grimm asked.

You sighed and chuckled slightly, "There the units of measurement we use to tell each other how hot or cold it is. There are two different kinds of degrees, though. Fahrenheit and celsius."

"What's the difference between the two?"

"I don't really know honestly, I grew up using Fahrenheit, so I don't know how to measure temperature in celsius." You admitted.

"This all seems unnecessarily complicated," Grimm said, sighing at the information he just took in.

"It is," you said, sighing.

"Here we are," Grimm said, holding the door of a smaller tent open for you to enter.

"Thank you," you said to Grimm as you walked in. The tent appeared empty at first until Grimm called out for his advisor, Divine. You were suddenly nervous and fearful as a large bug slithered out into the room you were standing in. She had a thin upper half with claws instead of arms, and fur offshoots coming from her neck. She also had a mask on one half of her face, but the other was exposed, showing you her smile. Her bottom half was large and was slug-like. She had no legs at all, and slithered everywhere she went.

"Why hello, young man," her raspy, aged voice said as she bowed. "I am Divine. You are?"

You managed to stutter out a, "(y/n)."

"(y/n), what a lovely name." She said, her attention span seemed minimal because she began to become inattentive and space off. Grimm cleared his throat and brought her back into the conversation. "I presume the necklace brought you here?" She asked, pouring out cups of tea for everyone.

"Y-Yes, how did you know?" You asked.

"There have been others such as yourself. Claiming they found a necklace and were enthralled by its intricate design, but when they put it on and went to sleep they would wake up here." She said, sighing sadly. "Although I must say, you are the first male human I've seen. I always assumed jewelry was a strictly feminine thing in your society."

"W-well it used to be, a long time ago." you explained. "But people our society as a whole has become more accepting of people like me. We used to be called sinners and were ostracised for being the way we are."

"Others like you?" Grimm asked, his bright eyes looking at you with intrigue.

"Yeah, I'm... gay. This means that even though I'm male, I find myself falling in love with other males. Or, I'll do things that used to be a strictly female-only thing, such as apply makeup or wear feminine clothing." You said, a hint of red appeared in your cheeks.

"Why would that be a reason for your ostracisation?" Divine asked simply.

"Because humans used to consider being gay a sin, some still do," you admitted. "I still get judged pretty harsly for it by my family. My father said it was... unnatural. He used to hit me whenever I wore makeup or crossdressed around him."

"I'm terribly sorry to hear such a thing, (y/n)." Divine said, putting a claw on your shoulder.

"Thank you, Divine. I'm fine now, my father was put in prison years ago for sexual misconduct at his workplace," you explained. "He was a shitty person."

"What about your mother?" Grimm asked.

"She lives on her own in apartment down in San Fransisco. I make sure I take time to visit her at least once a month." You explained. "I've been meaning to ask, how can I get home?" You asked Divine.

Divine sighed with remorse and said, "I don't believe you can. I'm sorry." She handed you a cup of tea that she had poured out earlier.

"What? No, I have to get home." You said definitively. "You don't understand, there are people at home waiting for me."

"I'm sorry (y/n), truly." She said, taking a sip of tea. Your eyes widened at her words. "Why don't you have some tea? It usually helps me calm my nerves when I get anxious."

"No, I have to be dreaming right now." You said, pinching your arm.

"We already confirmed you weren't dreaming, (y/n)," said Grimm.

You took a sip of tea as Divine had suggested and it did help you calm down. You began to think levelheadedly again. "So there really isn't any way for me to get back home?" You asked, desperate.

"I'm afraid not, (y/n). You're bound to servitude of the Nightmare Heart." Divine said remorsefully.

"What does that mean? Nightmare Heart? What is that?" You asked, taking another sip of tea.

"The Nightmare Heart is what gives us power. Those who are tied to it are given the power of the Nightmare Realm, but with the caveat that they will forever be slaves to it." Divine said. "The Nightmare Heart is also what gives the Nightmare King his power."

"Nightmare King? He doesn't sound incredibly friendly." You said.

"He isn't," Divine said simply. "And I doubt he'll take too kindly to a human in the troupe. The last time he found a human he visited them in their dreams and killed them."

"What?" you asked, eyes widened. "Who is this guy?"

"He's an amalgamation of the power of all the Grimms before me. When I die, my power will go to him as well." Grimm explained.

"So what happens if we kill him?" You asked. "Will I be set free?"

"No, unfortunately not." Divine said. "We've tried that. He can't die when he's in the Nightmare Realm."

"Well... shit." You said, considering your options.

"(y/n), it's getting late. Why don't I show your new room?" Grimm asked, standing up. He held out his hand to help you up and you took it and stood up with it.

"Since I don't trust the Grimmkin to respect your privacy, we'll give you the guest room." He said before turning to Divine. "Thank you, Divine."

"(y/n), wait! I have some clothing for you." She called as you were about to leave her tent. She slithered into the room behind her and you heard her humming as she shuffled through her belongings. "Here, try these." She said, handing you a red dress, a black jumper, and a tuxedo that was wrinkled with age. "You can go into my bathroom to change."

"Oh, thank you," you said. When you went into Divine's bathroom you saw how you looked in the mirror. You still had the foundation of your makeup on, along with lipstick, but other than that there wasn't any of it left. You first tried on the dress. It was a bit small, obviously meant for someone that wasn't your size, but you liked the way you looked in it all the same. You tried on the other articles of clothing to confirm they all fit before returning to Grimm and Divine.

"Do they fit?" Divine asked, curiosity in her voice.

"Yes they do, thank you very much." You said.

"These were all that was left of the clothing that belonged to the humans who came before you, except for the tuxedo. That was just something I wanted to get rid of." She explained with a bit of playfulness behind her voice.

"Alright, (y/n). It's late. Shall we?" He said, opening the door for you.

"We shall." You said, walking through the door and into the rain with Grimm.

While you walked, you checked your phone to see if you had any signal at all. To no one's surprise, you didn't. "What is that thing?" Grimm asked, looking at your phone.

"Oh, this is a phone," you said, showing it to him. "Phones originally started out as nothing but devices used to let us talk to each other from far away, but they evolved into that and much more."

"How does it work?" He asked.

"That would be a better question for my friend, Hanna. She could talk about phones all day. The technology in them is incredibly interesting to her." You explained.

"Hmmm." He hummed, studying the small device more. "How do you use it?"

"It's a touchscreen," you said, before realizing he didn't know what that was. "Let me show you," you said, holding it up so he could see the screen. "It responds to your touch." He was perplexed by the device, clearly taken aback by the way you scrolled through your homescreen. "We also use them to take photos. Here, let me show you one of my friends." You said, opening your camera roll and scrolling until you saw a picture you took of yourself and Hanna.

"Who is the other one?" Grimm asked.

"That's my friend Hanna, the one I was telling you about." You said.

"So what kind of magic do you use to make this device work?" Grimm asked.

You laughed before saying, "It's not magic, Grimm. It's just technology." You said. "Here, you try."

You handed Grimm the device and he placed a finger gently on the screen. When he moved it to the side, it scrolled to the next photo. Grimm's eyes lit up with childlike fascination and wonder. You couldn't help but chuckle slightly at the sight of Grimm smiling with excitement as he scrolled through the photos in your gallery.

"You humans are a fascinating species." Grimm admitted, handing you back your phone as you walked down the halls of the tent, towards the guest room.

"I still haven't figured out where I am, or what I'm going to be doing here." You said.

"Well the answer to the first question is that you're in the kingdom of Hallownest," Grimm said, opening the door of your room and leading you inside. "The second question is a little harder to answer."

"Well I appreciate all of this," you said, gesturing to the room around you. "It is kind of you to give me my own private room." You smiled at Grimm.

"You're quite welcome," He said, walking over to the door to leave. "I'll come and collect you in the morning when it's time for breakfast. You can make a proper introduction to the rest of the troupe then. Goodnight, (y/n)." He said.

"Goodnight," you responded as he closed the door. You placed the clothing Divine gave you in the wardrobe against the wall and placed your phone on the desk as you sat down on the bed. It was remarkably comfortable and felt like it was incredibly expensive. You decided that the clothes you were wearing would become the clothes you slept in because all of the other outfits in the wardrobe, including the ones you added to it, weren't meant for sleeping. There was a collection of form-fitting clothes that were very formal. A far cry to the normal clothing you wore, since you mainly went for comfort over style.

You fell asleep almost instantly after your head hit the pillow, and you hoped that when you awoke you'd be back in your dorm, and that none of this had actually happened.


	4. One Of Us

"Fuck," you whispered to yourself as you woke up. "It really wasn't a dream." You looked around the reddish-purple walls that enveloped you. You slowly stood up and were quick to change out of the clothes that you wore to bed. You went into the bathroom and used some water to wash the areas of your body that smelled the worse, not having deodorant anymore. Once you made sure you didn't smell, you took a long time deciding what you wanted to wear. You did like how you looked in the dress, but you decided instead on a bright red button-down dress shirt and black dress pants that were incredibly slim, but comfortable. You pulled your sleeves on the shirt halfway up and messed around with your hair a little until it looked how you wanted it to.

You originally planned to stay in your room until Grimm came to get you for breakfast like he said he would, but you instead decided to cut your losses and explore a little on your own. You opened the door and began to walk throughout the halls towards the exit because the first place you wanted to see was the outside. When you made your way out, you heard the constant white noise of rain and by the time you were fully outside, you looked around at the city in front of you. You hadn't gotten the chance to see it when going to Divine's tent, so seeing it now was refreshing. It was chilly outside, but you found the small bite of the cool air to be slightly comforting. You had always been in a warm environment, living in California, but this was entirely new to you. You were calm as you breathed the moist air around you in, loving every second of this view. Although what really had you enthralled was each building's different design and architecture. Every building felt like it had a lot of life to it and a tremendous amount of thought behind it.

"It is quite the marvel, isn't it," you heard Grimm's voice coming from behind you.

It didn't startle you this time as it had before, so you were able to calmly reply. "Yeah. There's nothing like this back home." You said. "All of our architecture involves straight lines and harsh angles. Buildings are all incredibly minimalistic and have no character to them. They're just large grey pillars jutting out of the ground."

"That sounds dull," Grimm admitted.

"Well when you have to build so many buildings, then you probably wouldn't want to waste time on intricate designs," you pointed out, shifting your gaze from the towering buildings to Grimm.

"I guess that makes sense. Does your society revolve around efficiency?" He asked.

"In some ways, yeah I guess it does," Grimm's fiery red eyes didn't come off as menacing today like they did yesterday, they seemed almost friendly.

"Tell me, does your society have music?" Grimm asked.

"Oh yes. Music is a very large part of our culture. It's a universal language spoken by many different people in many different ways." You said. "I was actually in the middle of my fourth year of studying music theory before I was taken here."

"Music theory?" Grimm asked.

"Yeah, it's a class we take to study the inner workings of music and how melodies and chords can compliment each other. We also study how different melodies can portray different feelings." You explained.

"Hmm. We don't study that here, it's just something that we... do." Grimm said. "If someone wants to convey sadness through their music, then they play a sad sounding melody. There's no theory behind it," he said simply.

"I guess we have a natural instinct to overcomplicate everything," you chuckled. "I've always seen music that way too, it's just I have to take music theory in order to get the job I wanted. Although I guess I won't need that job anymore," you said with a hint of homesickness to your voice.

"I understand that you must miss your home, (y/n). I'm truly sorry you found your way here." Grimm said.

"Don't be sorry, it couldn't have been your fault. _My_ dumb ass put on the necklace." You said, trying to lighten the mood.

Your attempt clearly didn't work as Grimm only grew more concerned. "Don't be so hard on yourself, (y/n). You couldn't have possibly known that the necklace would do this to you." He said.

You laughed and said, "Thank you Grimm, but that was meant to be taken as sarcasm." You smiled at him.

Grimm's cheeks grew a little pink and he said, "Oh." with a small voice.

You chuckled a little before asking him, "When is breakfast?"

"That's actually why I came out here. I was looking for you to tell you that it's being served right now." He said. "Follow me, I'll take you to the dining hall."

You followed him inside without hesitation. You weren't going to say it aloud, but you were incredibly hungry. As Grimm lead you into an open hall with other figures of varying sizes sitting at the tables, you hung your head as to not draw attention to yourself. Apparently, walking in with their master was enough to draw attention in it of itself.

"Everyone!" Grimm yelled which startled you slightly. "I would like to formally introduce the newest member of our troupe. (y/n)!" He said, gesturing to you. You raised your hand and smiled as you did a small wave. He continued, "You will treat him with the same respect you treat me and those around you, and I will not tolerate any funny business on this matter." His voice was full of authority. "Do you understand?" He received several different agreements from the crowd of bugs as he sat you down next to him.

"I could have introduced myself, Grimm. You didn't have to do that." You said, trying your best to be polite.

"Nonsense, they wouldn't have taken your word as seriously as mine." He said as he began to eat.

The food in front of you was just as alien as the rest of this world you were in, but you weren't going to complain about it, especially since you didn't know what else you would've been able to eat. The food itself tasted better than it looked. It was a bowl of fruit, but the fruit itself wasn't anything that you could've had in California. It was red on the outside, but a bright, offputting blue on the inside. The fruit had a bittersweet taste to it, and was very filling.

"Thank you for the food, Grimm." You said as you and Grimm walked down the halls together.

"Well I didn't prepare it, so you don't have to thank me," he said with a slight laugh.

"So, what exactly are we doing today?" You asked Grimm. "If I'm going to be a part of your troupe, then I should probably know what it is your troupe does."

"Well, as you saw yesterday, we are performers," Grimm explained. "We travel around different kingdoms and perform for the people there."

"Ah, I see." You replied.

"You said you studied music, does that mean you can play any instruments?" Grimm asked.

"Yeah, I was classically trained on the piano and cello, but I taught myself how to play the guitar as well," you said.

"Oh I love the piano. It's such a pretty instrument." Grimm said.

"You have pianos here?" You asked.

"Yes," his response was simple. "We have on in our practice room. You should play!" His eyes were suddenly eager and filled with childlike wonder. "You'd be quite the addition to our show! 'The Human Pianist'" he said with a dramatic flair that made you laugh.

"I don't know, I've never been good in front of an audience." You said.

"Oh nonsense, don't worry about that. You'd do wonderfully, I can just tell!" His eagerness hadn't left his voice.

"Would including a human pianist in your show draw a bigger crowd?" You asked.

"Oh it absolutely would! People have only heard of humans in legends passed down from their grandparents." Grimm said as you two continued to walk. "They would come in droves."

You sighed heavily and said, "Sure. I'll do it."

~~~

"We use this room to practice for our shows. Use it whenever you like." Grimm said, leading you in. You found the instrument in the center of the room. You sat down behind the keys as Grimm asked, "May I hear you play?"

"Uhh, sure." You said, pulling up a chair. The melody you played first started out sinister and dark, as your fingers went up and down the keyboard, the strings resonating out the back. You put the emotions you first felt when meeting Grimm into the melody. You eventually turned the melody into one that was conveyed fear, like something bad was about to happen, until you slowly faded the music until there was almost nothing left to hear. You slowly began to play a more melancholic melody, reflecting how you felt when you met up with Divine, and learned you were stuck in Hallownest. Grimm watched with fascination as you were able to express your emotions so easily through the notes and chords. You eventually played a melody that felt more relaxed, and had an airy peacefulness to it. Until you ended the song with how you felt just now, calm and collected. You played the last chord before eventually sighing and removing your fingers from the keys, and your foot from the sustain pedal.

"That was incredible, (y/n). You'll do amazingly in our performance." Grimm said. 

You let out a nervous laugh and said, "Thanks," as you stood up. You checked your phone for the time before realizing that the time here was different than the time back home. The clock on your phone said it was 4:32 a.m. and you knew for a fact that it wasn't that time here.

"Shall we continue with our day? There's still so much for you to see." Grimm said, holding the door of the practice room open. You walked through it and into the hall of the tent.

"What more do we have left?" You asked.

"There's still another person I'd like you to meet. He's my assistant." Said Grimm, leading you from the practice room to another room that was by Grimm's. "Don't worry, I'm sure you two are bound to get along. He's a skillful musician such as yourself."


	5. Power

Grimm led you through the halls of the tent and paused in front of a door. The door was fairly close to the room that you occupied. Grimm knocked lightly on the door and asked, "Brumm? Brumm are you in there?"

"Yes, you may come in," a monotone voice said from behind the door. "Welcome." You saw who the voice belonged to as you walked into the room. 

"(y/n), this is Brumm, my assistant." He gestured to the stranger in the room. 

"Hello, (y/n). It's a pleasure to meet you," he said bowing. You studied the figure for a couple of seconds. He had fur offshoots much like Divine, and he had tiny horns that curled inwards on the top of his head, but the most jarring feature about him was the way his top half comically out-scaled his bottom half, his arms being incredibly wide and thick. 

"Thank you, it truly is a pleasure," you returned a bow. 

"Brumm here is a musician like yourself, (y/n). He is a master with an accordion," He said. 

"Master Grimm, you flatter me. I'd hardly call myself a master of the instrument," Brumm said.

"Nonsense, you play that thing better than anyone else in the entire kingdom!" Grimm exclaimed. 

"So, you're a musician too?" Brumm asked you, changing topics of conversation. 

"Yes, I play the piano, cello, and guitar. Although I take it you don't have cellos or guitars in this kingdom?" You asked, unsure. 

"You're correct. Those are unfamiliar sounding instruments, but I bet they're very pretty." Brumm said. "I hope to hear you play sometime." 

"(y/n) agreed to be a part of our show. 'The Human Pianist,'" Grimm said, his childlike eagerness returning to him. You could tell he was very much into the performing arts. 

"That sounds like a lovely act. I'm glad you decided to join us on stage," Brumm said. 

"Thank you," you said simply. 

There was an unnerving silence that everyone in the room seemed to drown in. Grimm eventually broke with, "Alright, (y/n). Should we explore the rest of the tent? There is still one more thing I wish for you to see." Grimm said, trying to hide excitement in his voice. 

"I guess. See you later Brumm, it was nice meeting you." You said as Grimm opened the door for you.

"It was nice meeting you too. I can't wait to hear you on stage," he said bowing once more as you left. 

You walked through the halls with Grimm once more, wondering where he planned to take you next. "Where are we going?" you asked. 

"I wish to show you the backstage area, and the lighting booth." He said, hardly able to hide his giddyness as you walked towards the showroom. 

~~~

"These spotlights are powered by flame. The Grimmkin will light the flame inside the it, and the light that gets produced by the flame gets magnified with the glass lens in the front. " Grimm explained. He had taken you to a light booth that sat in the wall behind the audience. The light itself seemed to be just a simple metal box, with an open back and a glass lens in the front. 

"We have something like this at home, but we use electricity to power them." You said, examining the spotlight. 

"What is electricity?" Grimm asked, curious.

You chuckled slightly as you admitted, "I don't fully know myself. It's a power we draw from the ground, and we use that power to do different things, such as turn on lights or charge our phones." You said, pulling out your phone and showing Grimm the low battery indicator. "This red number is how much power my phone has left. Once this number reaches zero, I won't be able to use it." 

"That seems like a hassle. Do you have to buy a new one each time the number reaches zero?" Grimm asked, slightly confused. 

You chuckled again, saying, "No no no, we charge our phones with the aforementioned electricity. That brings the number from zero up to one hundred in a matter of hours."

"Hmm. Well, there's a reason I brought you to see the spotlights, (y/n)." Grimm said, changing topics of discussion. "I want you to light them."

His request confused you. "Do you have anything to make a fire with around here?" You asked. 

Grimm retorted with his own question, "Do you remember Divine's words? You were granted powers by the Nightmare Realm, on the off hand that you are now bound to it for life."

"I guess I'm still confused," you said looking into Grimm's fiery and excited eyes. 

"You don't need anything to make a flame, there's already one inside you." Grimm explained. "It's the power of the Nightmare Realm." 

"What?" You said, more confused than ever. 

Grimm gently grabbed you arm, his touch was surprisingly soothing, and positioned it so your palm was facing upwards. "Focus, (y/n). Focus on the heat you feel inside of you. Channel it through your body and into your arm." 

"Alright," you said, closing your eyes. You felt incredibly dumb while you focused as Grimm instructed. You suddenly began to feel a burning sensation in your chest. It quickly spread all throughout your body, and was beginning to become unbearable. You tensed up the arm that Grimm had outstretched for you, and you began to feel the heat slowly creep up your arm, and away from the rest of your body. It was almost to the point where it was painful, but it never reached that point, as you felt the heat expel from your arm. You were left cold again, but you heard Grimm's voice say, "Open your eyes, (y/n)." You slowly opened your eyes and saw a ball of red flame hovering above your hand. Your eyes were filled with childlike wonder and awe as you examined it from all angles. Grimm looked down at you and smiled, understanding you were in pure awe at the ball of flame. 

"Wha-... How?" was all you managed to ask. 

"It's the power of the Nightmare Realm. You summoned it and channeled it through you," he explained. "Although I've never seen someone summon such a large flame on their first attempt." Grimm admitted. "Here, place your hand in the spotlight," he said, guiding your hand into the spotlight. 

You were in pure shock as the flame was quick to travel from above your hand into its designated spot in the light, before your hand even made it into the light. "Woah," was all you managed to say. "I've never seen anyone do anything like this."

"Would you like to try again on the second light?" Grimm asked. You nodded quickly and focused again. You felt the heat begin to flow throughout your body with relative speed. You tensed your arm, but only slightly, and a second flame materialized above your hand. "Wow, (y/n). You're a natural at this. You seemed to have figured this out very quickly," Grimm admitted as you lit the second spotlight. 

You looked at Grimm, eyes wide with childlike wonder, "I didn't even know this was possible." You said, shifting your gaze from Grimm's eyes to your hands. He smiled at you, and you returned a smile to him.

"Here, place you hand in the light once more." Grimm instructed, and you followed his words. "The flame won't burn you, don't worry," He added, seeing your reluctance. "Focus once more, but instead focus on how cold your body feels. Will the flame from the light back into you." He said. You closed your eyes and did as he said. You hadn't realized it before, but your body was much colder than it once was. You were confused as to what he meant by 'will the flame' but as you focused harder, feeling heat make its way into your fingers. The heat slowly spread throughout you body until it was evenly dispersed. You opened your eyes and saw the spotlight was dark once again, the flame the once resided in it was nowhere to be seen. "Very good, (y/n). You're incredible at this." He said as you unlit the other spotlight. 

You looked at your hands, and then back into Grimm's eyes. "Thank you for showing me this, this is unbelievable." You said. 

"You're welcome. Don't get too carried away though, it's best just to use it for practical uses only." Grimm warned. 

You took his words to heart, understanding the danger of playing with fire as you replied with, "Of course." 

"We should probably get to the dining hall soon, lunch will be served any time now." Grimm said. "Shall we?" Grimm asked, holding his hand for you to take. 

"We shall," you replied, taking his hand into yours as you walked out of the showroom. You were finally beginning to not be fearful of anyone here anymore, and you were excited to begin performing in the show. But you felt a needle of sadness poke at your heart as you remember your friends and your mother. You enjoyed being here, and being with Grimm, but you still wanted more than anything to return home. 


	6. Night Terrors

**CONTENT WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS SCENES WITH DOMESTIC VIOLENCE AND ABUSE. IF THAT BOTHERS YOU OR DISTURBS YOU, THEN I'D RECOMMEND SKIPPING THE LAST SEGMENT OF THIS CHAPTER**

After you and Grimm had eaten lunch together, you had to part ways. Grimm had a private matter to attend to, but he said you were free to explore. You immediately went outside to explore the city on your own terms. Before you left though, Grimm gave you a hooded cloak and a mask. He explained that covering your face with a mask would be the best option because neither of you knew how people were going to react to seeing a human in public. You donned the newly acquired attire and made your way outside. 

Making your way down the city streets, you completely enveloped your body in the cloak, as to not expose your arms which would also be a dead giveaway that you were a human. You walked down the street and towards what you assumed to be the center of the city. The city was densely populated, and you struggled to fight your way through various crowds. Finally, you found yourself at a large fountain with four figures standing on it. The figure in the center had large horns, almost two feet in length each, and a long cloak that went down to its feet. The figures that surrounded it all had long cloaks as well, but each had its own unique mask that differed it from the others. There was a plaque on the fountain and it read:

** MEMORIAL TO THE HOLLOW KNIGHT **

**Sealed in the Black Vault far above.**

**Through its sacrifice, Hallownest lasts eternal.**

"You must be new around here," said a masculine voice from behind you. You turned around to see who the voice belonged to, and in front of you was a very round bug with fur on its neck. He had two horns, one bigger than the other, and what looked like a beard that grew from his face and dragged across the ground as he walked. 

"I am new, yes." You said, "I am (y/n)." You bowed at him, but were careful your mask and cloak stayed in place as you did.

"Hello newcomer, I am Lemm. I take it you haven't heard of the Hollow Knight, or the infection it sacrificed itself to hold?" He asked. 

"No I haven't," you said, intruiged. "Who is the Hollow Knight?"

"No one truly knows who they are," Lemm explained. "They were raised in the palace by the Pale King himself. They are said to be an empty shell of a bug, and they grew up for only one purpose in life. To hold the infection that threatened our kingdom."

"Infection? What kind of infection?" You asked, clearly interested. 

"We don't really know what kind of infection it is. We have no idea how it spreads, but we do know that it is incredibly dangerous, and contraction of this disease more often than not would prove lethal." Lemm explained with a sigh. 

"Wow, so how does the Hollow Knight hold this infection?" You asked. 

"No one knows. Most people speculate that they keep the source of the infection in their empty body." Lemm said with a hint of melancholy behind his voice. "Supposedly, if you visit the Black Vault the Hollow Knight is kept in, you can occasionally hear a soul-shattering scream coming from inside, along with the rattling of chains."

"Wow," was all you had to say. 

Lemm changed topics of conversation in hopes to lighten your mood, "I run a pawn shop in this city, by the way. It is open almost all hours of the day, so if you want to stop in feel free." He explained, pointing to a run-down building in the distance. 

"I'd love to, I just don't have any money on me right now," you said. "In the future, maybe."

"Well, I hope I can see you there. Until then, I shall be going," Lemm said, beginning to walk away. 

"Goodbye!" You called to the now distant figure. You saw him wave without turning around. You looked back at the fountain and had thoughts of Lemm's words run through your head. _'Infection? Grimm never said anything about an infection. Maybe he doesn't know?'_ you reasoned in your head. You shrugged and shook the thought away, wanting to enjoy the spectacular city that was spralling in front of you. 

~~~

It was decently late by the time you returned to the tent. As you made your way inside and to your room, you removed the cloak and mask that Grimm gave to you and replaced them with the hoodie and shorts you fell asleep in the night prior. You hung the clothes you wore back up in the wardrobe and were about to fall asleep when you heard a knock on the door. 

"Hello? (y/n), have you returned?" You heard Grimm's voice from behind the door. 

"Yeah, I'm back. You can come in," you called through the door, sitting up in bed. 

Grimm opened the door and poked his head in. "How was your day?" He asked, fully walking in and sitting on the edge of your bed. 

"My day was great, thanks for asking," You smiled at Grimm. 

"Did anyone see you without your mask on?" Grimm asked, concerned. 

"Nope, we're all good." You said.

"Excellent. What did you do today?" Grimm asked with intruige behind his voice. 

You pulled your legs into your chest as you explained, "Oh not much. I explored the city a lot, mostly. I ran into someone named Lemm at the fountain. He explained who the Hollow Knight was," you said. You didn't bring up the infection because you wanted to see if Grimm knew about it first. 

"Ah, so I take it he told you of the infection?" Grimm asked.

"Yeah, I had no idea." You said, melancholy laced throughout the edges of your voice. 

"Well if it makes you feel any better, we won't be staying in this kingdom for much longer. We have one more performance before we move to a different kingdom." Grimm said. 

"Where is our last performance here?" You asked. 

"In the Palace," Grimm said simply. "We'll be performing for the King and his closest followers."

"The _Palace?"_ You asked. "We'll be performing for the King of this place?" You were clearly shocked by this news. 

"Yes. We always perform in the palace of each kingdom before moving onto the next one." Grimm explained. "Don't worry, we aren't moving for a couple of days. You'll have time to practice." He added with a smile. 

"Well, thank you for warning me in advance." You said, returning a smile. 

"You're welcome, (y/n)." Grimm said before standing up. "Well you must be tired, (y/n). I'm sorry for keeping you from sleeping for so long." He began to walk towards the door. 

"It's fine, Grimm." You said, "I'm glad I was able to talk to you before the end of the day."

His cheeks went a little pink as he said, "I'm quite glad as well. Goodnight, (y/n)."

"Goodnight, Grimm," You said as he closed the door. You fell asleep as you heard his footsteps going down the hall.

~~~

You were in a pitch black environment. You couldn't see anything or anyone, but you heard hushed whispers that you couldn't quite make out. "Hello?" You called into what seemed like an endless void. Your voice reverberated and echoed before fading away completely before you finally did see someone. You quickly walked towards the figure until you saw who it was. It was your father, with his back turned to you.

"Unnatural..." you heard his words hiss into your brain. He turned around and had a dazed look in his eyes. "Freak of nature..." he began to walk towards you. "Disappointment..." You slowly started walking backwards, away from him. Tears were forming in your eyes. 

"Back off." Your shaky voice said. When he kept coming towards you, you yelled at the top of your lungs, "Back the fuck away!" When he didn't listen to your words, tears streamed down your face. You began to run away after turning around. 

"Let me teach you a lesson..." you heard his voice hiss as you began to sink into the ground. Your footsteps were becoming few and far between as you sunk further into the ground. You were fully submerged below the waist and and couldn't move as you heard your father's footsteps from behind you get closer. He came into view and squatted down in front of you. He slapped you across the face with the back of his hand, his wedding band leaving a heavy imprint on your face. 

"Please... stop..." you whimpered as he slapped you again, this time in the other direction. You realized you were reliving a memory, as the rest of your old living room faded into view. You saw your mother try to pull your father off of you, only to be met with a punch in the side, completely winding her. "Don't fucking touch her!" You yelled at your father, who had pinned you to the ground with his knees on your arms. 

"Don't talk back to me!" He hissed as he slapped you once more. "Hopefully you can learn from this." 

"What the fuck am I supposed to learn, huh?!" You yelled, seething with rage.

"Learn how to be normal! I didn't raise no fag for a son!" He yelled, causing tears to stream harder down your face. You cried openly, taking blow after blow from your father before eventually your vision started to fade. A blinding white light slowly faded into view and you heard a familiar voice in the far distance. 

~~~

"(y/n)! (y/n), are you alright?" You recognized the voice that was now very close to be Grimm's. You slowly opened your eyes and saw the red-purple walls of your room surround you. Your body was curled in a fetal position and you saw tear stains on the sheets below you. Your heavy breathing slowed to a normal pace, and you turned to lay on your back. You found Grimm hovering over you, making sure you were okay.

"Yeah, yeah I'm fine." You said, wiping the tears from your face with your sleeve, which took any ounce of makeup you had left off. You sat up and pulled your knees into your chest. 

"(y/n), you were crying violently in your sleep. Did you have a bad dream?" Grimm asked, concerned. 

"Yeah, I guess you could say that. Thank you for your concern, Grimm." You said. 

"You were late to breakfast, but I managed to take one of these for you," he said, holding out one of the fruits with the red exterior and the blue interior. 

"Oh, thank you." You said, gently taking the fruit into your hand and slowly biting into it. 

"You're welcome." Grimm said, he sat down on the bed next to you. "(y/n), do you want to talk about your dream? I might be able to help."

You looked into his eyes and said, "Really, I'm fine Grimm. I appreciate your offer, but I was just reliving a bad memory from the past." You explained. 

"I'm sorry that you had such a rough past, (y/n)." Grimm said, concerned. 

You smiled weakly and said, "Thank you, Grimm. It means a lot to hear you say that." You continued eating the fruit until there wasn't anything left of it. 

"I'll let you get changed, (y/n). I'll be waiting outside for you." Grimm said, standing up.

"Thank you, Grimm. I won't be too long." You said as he shut the door behind him. 

You repeated your actions from the day prior, eliminating any body odor. You picked out the black jumpsuit that Divine gave you to wear today. It was obviously meant to be worn by a female given its revealing design, but it still fit nonetheless as you thought of what to do to throw in a splash of color to your otherwise monochromatic outfit. You eventually decided to throw on a pair of bright red shoes, obviously belonging to whoever was the human that came before you. You made your way out of your room as Grimm said, "You look dashing today." 

"Thanks," you said, looking down at your outfit. 

"Is this something that is considered feminine in your society?" Grimm asked. 

"Yeah," you admitted, feeling your cheeks run red. 

"Well I think you look better in it than anyone else in the troupe possibly could," Grimm said. 

"Thank you." You said as you walked the halls with Grimm. "Where are we going?" You asked. 

"We're going to help pack up for the moving day. It's the day after tomorrow and everything needs to be packed up nicely before we move." Grimm said. "It shouldn't take us too long." He lead you through the halls, as you slowly began to forget about the memory you relived in your sleep. Being with Grimm made you feel safe, but you didn't really know why.


	7. The Performance

You were helping Grimm in the showroom, fastening things to the floor, and putting things in boxes. "Shouldn't we be hauling this stuff out of the tent if we're going to move it?" You questioned. 

"Why would we do that?" Grimm asked. 

"Well, are we not going to fold the tent up to move it?" You asked and Grimm laughed. 

"No, we're not going to fold the tent up." He said. 

"Well, then how are we going to move it?" You asked with curiosity prevalent throughout your voice.

"You'll see." He said, smiling. 

~~~

It was the day you had to move the tent. You had done nothing but practice playing yesterday, so you were ready to see how the tent was moved, since Grimm had left you with anticipation. It was a cold morning and Grimm had everyone file their way out of the tent. Once it was verified to be empty, Grimm began to focus. You could tell how hard he was focusing because he began to sweat a little bit. Out of nowhere, a black smog enveloped the tents and once it had them fully covered, it disappeared. Once the smog cleared, you saw the tents were nowhere to be seen. Grimm then turned around and yelled at the group, "Huddle together. I know you don't like this but this will only go faster if you cooperate!" He instructed the group. You and all of the other Grimmkin, Divine, and Brumm were all tightly packed together in one big group as the same black smog that enveloped the tent began to whirl around the group. You saw Grimm and that he was being worked incredibly hard as he was doing this, and just like with the tents, you once the smog cleared you saw you were in an entirely different area. 

Grimm had a look of exhaustion on his face, but he seemed to recover quickly as you walked up to him and asked, "Where are we?" 

"The Palace Grounds," he said, pointing to the now obvious palace sitting several hundred feet away from you. His quick breathing soon began to slow. "We perform tonight, so make sure you're ready for it. I'm going to go to my room and take a small nap before then."

"What should I wear?" You asked Grimm.

"Well, wear what you want to." Grimm said. "No one in the audience knows anything about human fashion, I don't even know about human fashion, so you can wear what you desire." 

You smiled at Grimm and said, "Thanks." You walked into the practice room once more and practiced your melodies, losing track of time.

"Hey, (y/n). I have an idea," Grimm said, walking in to the practice room. 

"I'm all ears," you replied. 

"You never were able to see our show, but the final act is a choreographed fight between me and another Grimmkin. Maybe, you play your solo before that, and then stay on stage to score our fight." Grimm said, his love for the performing arts returning to his voice. 

"If you want me to, then I can do that." You said. 

"Lovely," Grimm said, smiling. "I apologize for bringing this up on you last-minute." 

"It's fine," you said. "I don't mind." 

"The show will be in an hour and a half, by the way." Grimm informed you. 

"Sounds good," you replied as he exited the room. "I'll be ready."

~~~

You were in your room, deciding what to wear. You wanted to look your best, since you were in going to be performing in front of the king. You eventually decided to wear the tight red dress, taking Grimm's words about the audience not knowing human fashion to heart. You put on the dress and examined yourself in a mirror. It was an incredibly slim dress, shaping itself around your form. It was a strapless dress that went halfway down your thighs but you fell in love with how you looked in it. Wearing this dress made you feel different, in a good way. You felt like a new person. Maybe it was because your father wasn't around to tell you what you could or couldn't wear. Maybe it was because you were the only human in this kingdom, therefore what others thought of you didn't hold any weight. Whatever the reason, you felt incredible putting on the dress. You did up your hair how you wanted it to look and were eventually ready to go out on stage. You found your way to the backstage area, and helped a few Grimmkins push your piano into place on stage. It had its own place on stage, and would be revealed by a curtain when it was time for you to play. 

"You look phenomenal tonight, (y/n)." You heard Grimm's voice as you finished helping the Grimmkin with the heavy instrument. 

"Thank you," you said. "You look rather handsome as well," you said, making Grimm's cheeks run a light red color. 

"Red is a color that suits you well," Grimm said as you two walked. "Are you at all nervous?" 

"Oh very much so," you admitted. "Playing in front of a crowd is one thing, but playing in front of a literal king is another." 

"Well, if you're nervous just know you don't have to play," Grimm said, making eye contact with you. 

You smiled and said, "If I didn't want to play, then I wouldn't. I'm not gonna let anxiety stop me from playing tonight. Plus you did promise them a human pianist." 

Grimm smiled back and said, "Glad to hear such passion, (y/n)." 

You had an idea crawl its way into your head, "I was thinking," you started. "During the solo, while I'm playing, would it be too dangerous for me to summon the fire that I used to light the spotlights on my fingers while I played?" You asked. "I'm just trying to think of ways to make it more interesting, because someone just playing the piano isn't a whole lot of visual stimulation." 

"If you can manage to pull it off, then I'd say go for it. The flame itself isn't dangerous unless you will it to be." Grimm explained. 

"Awesome!" You exclaimed, excited to be on stage. 

~~~

"Greetings ladies and gentlemen! I hope you find our show tonight to be truly enthralling!" Grimm's voice resonated throughout the theater as he introduced the show. You listened intently from backstage. "We have a special treat for you tonight as well! This will truly be a once in a lifetime experience!" You heard a wooshing sound and saw Grimm suddenly appear backstage. 

"I didn't know you could do that," you admitted to Grimm as the first act of Grimmkin went out on stage. 

"It's just something I do for theatrics. Teleporting just a short distance behind you has no real practical applications," Grimm said.

"I guess that makes sense. How many acts will there be before mine, then the fight?" You asked, curious. 

"There will be three, you being the fourth and the fight being the fifth. The first one, as I presume you saw were just Grimmkin manipulating the Nightmare Realm's power for theatrics. Juggling balls of fire, breathing pure flame, etcetera. The next act is Brumm with his accordion, and dancers." Grimm explained, "The final act before yours will be a flashier demonstration of the Nightmare Realm's power. Then I'll introduce you, the curtain will come up, and you will begin to play." He said simply.

"Alright, thanks." you said. You went over to the side of the curtain to watch the acts, without being seen by the audience. The Grimmkin who were juggling balls of fire and such were incredibly small and stout. They had the widest masks of all, and acted especially childish. But they performed well nonetheless. Eventually, the second act made its way onto the stage. The melody of the accordion complimented the grace of the dancers in such a way that it was hard to take your eyes off of it. You were only interrupted by Grimm telling you to be ready at your piano, because the third act was a short one. When you sat down at the piano, you quietly congratulated the dancers and Brumm as they moved off of stage. 

Grimm was correct when saying the third act was short. It felt like it had been only ten minutes before you heard Grimm's voice on stage boom once more. "Truly a night of magic, do you not agree?" This question aroused applauce and cheering from the audience. "Tonight, there is someone new in our midst. Someone fresh, who hasn't performed with us before." He lowered his voice so that it would sound dramatic. "Tonight, we have someone who's no bug. We have someone, who I'm proud to say is a part of our group. That someone isn't like you or I. They come from an advanced society with technologies and achievements that far surpass our own. This wonderful man that I am proud to call a member of my troupe strives in breaking the societal boundaries of his people, and takes pride in challenging the idea of what it means to truly be a man! Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you... (y/n)! The Human Pianist!" His loud introduction of your name caused the curtain in front of you to be parted, revealing you to the crowd. You sat with perfect posture and your head held high, examining the audience as they applauded for you. Their applause and cheers brought you a happiness you hadn't felt before. 

The applause went immediately silent as you brought your arms up to your sides, palms facing upwards. You summoned a flame over each hand, and let it hover above your hands for a couple of seconds, letting the crowd marvel at seeing a human manipulate the Nightmare's flame. You eventually brought your hands down on the keys with great force, playing the first chord aggressively. A wave of flame circled you and rose towards the ceiling, before coming down and re-entering your body after the impact of the chord. The melody you played was sinister at first. It was incredibly dark sounding, and you knew it was the perfect way to bring the audience's attention to you immediately. You continued the dark and dramatic melody, every so often summoning tiny waves of flame that would fly around you before returning into you. You eventually shifted the melody ever so carefully, as to not be jarring. You played one that had a melancholic undertone. You played the melody and chords softly as you fingered the keys incredibly gently. You had no idea how much time had passed, but you were enjoying playing nontheless. You eventually shifted the melody into one of peace and tranquility. The same kind of melody that made you think of the capital city and its neverending rainfall. Soothing almost. You eventually faded the song into its end, and stood up to bow. You hadn't gotten a good look at the bugs in the crowd, but you saw that white was a common color of attire for those that lived in the palace. You figured out which bug was the king immediately, given that he had his own personal throne to sit on as he watched the show. 

"Wasn't that something?" Grimm's voice echoed again as you sat back down behind the piano, ready to score the fight. "Now, our final act is a dance of some sorts. Although, unlike earlier, this dance involves more drama, passion, and most of all, more nails." This got the crowd excited as the Grimmkin that would be sparring with Grimm made his way on stage. "Whenever you're ready, (y/n)." Grimm quietly said. You played a fast-paced melody, one with a flair of drama to it. You heard the clattering of metal as you didn't look up from the keys. This time there was no fire to your playing, as you weren't the main center of attention. You played with speed and passion, matching the energy of the fight with your performance. You eventually looked up to time when to end the song according to when the fight ended. Once you saw the Grimmkin was on the ground and Grimm was hovering his nail over the Grimmkin's throat, you brought the song to an end with a high pitched, soft chord. The applause was deafening as Grimm helped the Grimmkin stand up. All three of you on stage bowed at the same time. Grimm and the Grimmkin walked off stage but you stayed in place as the curtain closed in front of you. Once it was fully closed you walked away from the instrument. 

"(y/n)!" Grimm called as he ran towards you from the other side of backstage. "(y/n), you did wonderfully!"

"Thank you," you said, "You're choreography was phenomenal."

"Thank you as well," Grimm said, bowing slightly. "I'm glad you decided to perform with us, (y/n). You added something that this show has long needed." 

"Thank you for allowing me to perform, Grimm," you said. You were going to say something after that but you were interrupted by a large figure in white armor and four arms making its way backstage, uninvited. 

"The king would like to speak with you two." It said with a monotone voice. 


	8. Quarantine

You and Grimm silently walked through the halls of the palace. Your footsteps reverberated off the walls as you looked around, examining the interior of the foreign palace. Everything was white, so much so that it was almost blinding. The knight in pale armor led you through the halls until you stopped at an incredibly large door. 

"The King awaits you inside," his rough voice said. He turned his back towards the door and stood guard as you went in. You were incredibly nervous as you entered a large room with a long table in the center. Sitting at the end of the table was the King himself. 

"Ah, you've finally arrived. I apologize for calling you here on such short notice, but this is a rather urgent matter," his masculine voice resonated throughout the room. You watched as Grimm bowed to the King, so you followed suit.

"It is an honor to be here, your majesty," Grimm said as he came up from his bow. 

"Please, the honor is all mine. Do sit," he said, gesturing to the empty chairs at the table. You and Grimm sat together in chairs on the opposite end of the table from the King. "You must be the human that graced us with your mastery of the piano. It is a pleasure to meet a fine lady such as yourself," the King said.

"Indeed it is a pleasure, your majesty," You said nervously, not correcting him on your gender. 

"I understand that being in such a kingdom as our own must be nerve-wracking for you, no?" The Pale King asked. 

"It was when I first got here, but I'm not nervous anymore," you informed the King. 

"Lovely," he said before turning to Grimm. "I called you here because as you know, the infection still threatens our kingdom. My attempts to conceal it with the Hollow Knight went in vain," he said with forlorn. "I want you to set back up in the capital city tomorrow, we're going to be enforcing a quarantine onto the city, and it would be the safest place for you and your... accomplice." said the King, looking in your direction. 

"But your majesty, we can't call ourselves performers if we don't travel and perform for the rest of the world," Grimm said with a hint of desperation behind his voice. 

"I understand your concern, Grimm, but we must think of the lives of others before our own," the King reasoned. "It will only be temporary. The gates of the city will reopen once the infection is no more." 

"How long do you suppose eradicating this disease will take, your majesty?" Grimm asked.

"Unfortunately, we don't know," he said. "It could take weeks, months even."

"I'm confused about how staying here would be the safest option," Grimm said. "I would think the opposite to be true." 

"We can't risk anyone spreading this infection to other kingdoms," the Pale King said. "If it is to be truly eradicated, then we need to make sure it stays in one spot." 

Grimm sighed before asking, "When do you want us back in the city?" 

"As soon as possible," the King stated. "I shall not be answering any further questions, the Kingsmould will see you out." 

Grimm stood up and bowed, you followed his lead, before saying, "Thank you for having us, your majesty." 

"It was my pleasure," the King said, standing himself. You hadn't noticed how short he was when he was sitting down, but now you were able to fully see it. "(y/n) was it?" He asked you.

"Yes, your majesty," you replied simply.

"I apologize you have to come into our kingdom at such a time," the King said. "I don't know how you got here, but I hope you're able to return home safely. I wish you both safety and good health," he spoke to you two as a whole. "Until next time," he bowed and walked away as the figure you now knew as a 'kingsmould' stepped into the room. 

"Come with me," his gruff voice said shortly. 

~~~

You and Grimm were walking through the halls of the tent with relative silence, until Grimm spoke up and said, "I noticed the King called you a female. How come you didn't correct him?" 

"It wasn't my place to," you said simply. "If he had been paying attention to the introduction you gave me, then he'd know that I was a male." 

"But doesn't it bother you at all?" He asked, curious.

You grew slightly angry at his question but did your best not to show it. "I can understand where he'd get the confusion, given what I'm wearing." 

Grimm noticed your anger through your tense arms and changed topics of conversation with, "Your performance was spectacular tonight, (y/n)." 

Your arms went lax and your anger faded as you said, "Thank you. I appreciate you letting me be a part of your show." 

"Are you kidding? You were by far the best part. The show wouldn't have been the same without you," his compliment made you blush slightly. You came up to the door to your room and Grimm said, "Rest well, (y/n). We'll be moving back to the city tomorrow morning, so be up early for it." 

"I will," you said as Grimm began to walk away. "Thank you, for everything you've been able to provide me," you said before he was too far away.

"You don't have to thank me, (y/n)," Grimm said. "It was the least I could do to calm your nerves. Goodnight." He said and you finally let him walk away. You entered your room and changed into the oversized hoodie and shorts immediately. You hung the dress up properly and made your preparations to sleep. You laid down on the bed, and falling asleep was made easy by its comfort. 

~~~

You were walking aimlessly through a pitch-black void. Feeling a weird sense of deja vu, you called out to anyone that was within earshot. "Hello?" Your voice echoed for what seemed like entire minutes before eventually fading into nothingness. You kept walking until you saw a figure in the distance, your father. The memory of the last time this happened flashed into your mind and you instantly began to run away from the figure, before he ever spoke to you. Suddenly, he appeared in front of you, which caused you to turn around and run the other direction. He kept appearing in front of you, no matter which direction you turned, getting closer and closer every time you changed direction. You eventually gave up running, noticing how close he was, and all you did was brace yourself for the punch you knew was coming. You were left with nothing though, and you took a closer look at the figure you recognized to be your father. His eyes were glowing orange, and he had orange pustules covering his body. 

You saw something inside his mind snap as he suddenly jolted his head upwards. He frantically ran towards you, causing you to run away once more. You began sinking into the ground once more, and you knew what was bound to happen next because of the similar nightmare you had just days ago. Your father was on top of you again, hitting you repeatedly. You took his blows to the face, hoping you would wake up soon. You looked up into the black nothingness above you, noticing a blinding white light fade into view. You expected to wake up soon, but you didn't. You were instead greeted with a feminine voice. One that sounded comforting, motherly almost. 

"You're in grave pain, (y/n)." the voice said. You weren't able to see who the voice belonged to until the white light began to fade out. You saw it belonged to a large bug that resembled a moth. "I can help you escape your nightmares." When she said this, your father suddenly faded away, and you were able to stand once more. 

"How do you know my name?" You asked the large moth that hovered in front of you. 

"That doesn't matter right now. What matters is your happiness." The large moth said. 

"Who are you?" You raised your voice to ask. 

"I am known as The Radiance. I only seek to help you, (y/n)." Her motherly tone was offputting, and you grew skeptical immediately. 

"I don't think I need your help right now, but thanks." You said, slightly put off. 

She didn't take too kindly to these words as her voice echoed in your mind, "But wouldn't it feel so much better to just let go? You don't have to worry about anything or anyone. Replace these awful nightmares with the power of dreams..." Flashes of your friends appeared in your mind, but there was something different about them. The flashes that you saw were unfamiliar memories, and you were able to pick up on this fact quickly. 

You stood your ground. "Thanks for the offer, but I doubt 'the power of dreams' is gonna get me home." 

The moth grew visibly angry as she asked with a raised voice, "Why are you so stubborn? Do you not want to see your family ever again?" Her brash voice showed her anger. 

"I do, I just don't think you can help me in that matter." You said with a clear and definitive tone. 

"Well if you won't submit to me willingly, I guess I'll just force you to!" She said, anger driving her voice. She drove an orange tendril into your chest. The pain from the intrusion into your body was immense, and you were brought down to your knees by the force of the tendril. Your instinct kicked in, and you summoned flames of Nightmare in your hands, and placed them onto the tendril that was digging itself into your body. You heard The Radiance scream in pain as the orange tendril was being burned by the red flames you had in your hands. She eventually pulled the tendril out painfully and asked, "A human... with the power of the Nightmare Realm? How?" You were still writhing on the ground in pain from the wound now inflicted on your chest. You began to feel weightless, and your vision started to slowly fade. 

"(y/n)? Are you awake, we need to move the tent." You heard Grimm's voice from above you. You slowly groaned and sat up in bed. 

"Yeah... I'm up." you said, rubbing the back of your neck. You realized all the pain in your chest had vanished.

"Did you have another bad dream again?" Grimm asked, concerned. 

"It was a strange one, that's for sure." You said, standing up. 

"How so?" Grimm asked. 

You sighed and said, "I'll tell you later." 


	9. Back Into the City

The tents had been moved to their spot in the city, which caused general confusion. Many people believed that they weren't going to see the tents again, but there they were. You figured there would be a big crowd at the next performance due to your involvement. You were left without much to do as you finished changing and getting ready for the day. You met Grimm in the hall and asked, "Hey, do you want to go into the city with me?"

"I'd love to, (y/n). I haven't much to do today, so I'll make time after lunch." Grimm said, smiling. 

"Great! I'll see you then," you smiled back. 

~~~

You had on your cloak and mask and awaited Grimm outside the tent. When he finally met you outside in the rain, you began walking together. 

"So what was your childhood like?" you asked Grimm, looking to spark some conversation. 

"Oh there wasn't much interesting that happened," Grimm said. "I was raised in a kingdom far away from here. I don't remember my parents at all, they died when I was quite young. I was raised by Divine my whole life, she taught me to be who I am today." He reminisced. 

"I'm sorry to hear your parents died, Grimm," you said apologetically. "Although Divine made quite the gentleman out of you," you added with a smile that made his cheeks turn pink. 

"Thank you, (y/n). It means a lot hearing that from you," he said with a soft voice. 

You two walked for a while longer before you eventually asked, "Do you know anything about this infection?" You remembered what happened in your sleep. 

"I can't say that I do," Grimm said sighing. "The King hasn't explained it to anyone. Not a lot of people even knew about it before they erected the statue for the Hollow Knight." 

"So this has been something that's been kept pretty under wraps?" You asked. 

"Indeed. There might even be some people who still don't know about it," Grimm explained, "Although they'll all know once the lockdown measures go in effect tomorrow." 

"Why don't we just ignore the King's request? It seems foolish to board up here instead of just leaving." You said. 

Grimm chuckled and said, "I wish it were that simple. But while we reside in this kingdom, we are under the King's rule. We have to follow what he says." 

You pondered this and said, "I guess that makes sense." 

"I'm curious, (y/n). What did you do in your free time back home?" Grimm asked. "Forgive me for asking, I'm sure you still miss your home dearly." 

"It's alright," you assured Grimm. "Mostly what I did was go out and socialize. I always would find somewhere to go to and be with friends, or I'd go to the mall, or..." you trailed your words, thinking of everything you used to do.

Grimm's eyes were curious once again, "The mall? What is a mall?" 

You laughed slightly before explaining, "It's a large building filled with many many stores." Grimm seemed to picture it in his mind as his eyes lit up with wonder. "There are all different kinds of stores as well. There are clothing stores, gift shops, electronics stores, there are even food courts where you can get all different kinds of food such as pretzels, burgers... etcetera." 

Grimm's eyes were wide with curiosity, and you could tell he had many more questions. He was about to ask one when he was cut off by someone screaming down the street. You both immediately turned your head to the source of the sound and saw someone running away from another bug. The bug they were running away from had glowing orange eyes and glowing orange pustules covering their body. You remembered your nightmare and that your father had the same look about him as you approached the bug. "Don't approach him, (y/n). He could be dangerous." Grimm said, grabbing your arm. 

"I'll be fine, Grimm. I can defend myself in case things get rough," You said. The infected bug was walking alone down the center of the street, people in buildings watched as you approached him. "Hello? Are you lost?" you called out to the bug. He was groaning and making other repulsive sounds as you continued to inch your way towards him. Out of nowhere, he jolted his head upwards and ran at you with incredible speed. You ran away, but he closed the distance between you and him quickly. You looked over you shoulder and saw the pustules begin to expand as he was mere inches from you. All at once his body exploded violently and sent you into the air. You landed quickly on your back, which hurt incredibly. Your ears were ringing and you couldn't hear as Grimm rushed to your side. 

His words were muffled, the ringing sound overpowering them, but you were able to make out, "(y/n)... okay?" 

"I'm fine, Grimm. Thanks," you said, your hearing began to slowly return to you as you stood up. By the time you were on your feet again your hearing was fully restored. 

"You shouldn't have approached him like that, (y/n)," Grimm's worried voice was prevalent.

"Thank you for worrying Grimm, but really I'm fine." You said, smiling at Grimm. 

He placed a hand on your shoulder and smiled back, "I'm glad to hear that, truly, but you really should be more cautious." You felt inexplicably calmed by Grimm's touch. It was a comfort to you. You enjoyed the feeling as long as you could before Grimm asked, "Do you want to go inside? There's a cafe nearby." 

"I'd love to," you said, walking with Grimm. 

~~~

You were sitting at a table across from Grimm, enjoying a cup of tea. You couldn't stop thinking of what happened to you in your sleep, and how the bug had the same orange eyes as your father. Grimm noticed you were deep in thought and asked, "What's on your mind?" 

"It's about the dream I had last night," you said, looking out the window. 

"You never did explain it to me," Grimm said. "I'd love to hear about it, unless you're uncomfortable telling me." 

You sighed and said, "It's kind of a long one, and you might not even believe some of this, but it started with nothingness. I was just in a pitch-black void, wandering aimlessly. I called out to see if anyone was there, but I was met by silence," you saw as Grimm's eyes lit up with fascination. "Suddenly, I saw my father. This isn't the first time I've seen him in my sleep either, just a couple nights ago I saw him as well. That was when I was crying in my sleep," you informed Grimm. "Anyways, this time it was different. He had the same glowing orange eyes, and infectious bubbles all over him like the bug outside. He thankfully didn't explode though," you added with a slight joking tone to lighten the mood. "He had pinned me down and was beating me relentlessly." Tears were forming around your eyes, but you kept going. "As he was beating me, a blinding white light came from the sky, and from that light came this giant moth." Grimm's eyes grew wider when you said this. "She claimed she could help me, saying that I would be able to see my friends again. She called herself 'The Radiance', and she showed me memories of my friends, but the memories were fake. They had people in them I didn't recognize. Things escalated when I told her I didn't want her help, and she eventually tried to force her infection into me.

"I was only able to fend her off with the flame of the Nightmare Realm, which seemed to hurt her badly. She was confused as to how I had the power, and then I just woke up." You explained. 

Grimm placed a hand on yours to comfort you as he said, "I am so sorry that this is happening to such a sweet person as yourself," his caring tone was one you hadn't heard from anybody before. It was new to you and it caused the tears to return to your eyes. "I understand you miss your family and friends, (y/n). What you did against her was incredibly brave." 

You looked into Grimm's fiery eyes with your teary ones and asked, "You believe me?" 

"Of course I do, (y/n). I already knew of The Radiance's existence, I just didn't know she was behind the infection." Grimm admitted. 

Your eyes began to dry as you processed the information. "That means that the lockdown measures won't work. She can infect people in their sleep!" you made a sudden realization. 

Grimm placed his other hand under his chin, deep in thought. "How do we let the Pale King know of this?" 

You looked Grimm in the eye and asked, "Do you think he already does?" 

"It's possible. Maybe the quarantine was just to keep the public's peace of mind," he said, contemplating. 

"Well after what they saw today, I doubt that they think they're still safe," you said looking out the window to where the infected bug once was, taking another sip of tea. You looked back at Grimm and asked, "What should we do?" 

His response was a simple, "I don't know." 


	10. Becoming Closer

You and Grimm were silent for a long time in the cafe as you two both enjoyed your drinks. You two both wanted to talk, but neither of you had any idea what to talk about. Eventually, you asked, "So... how did you meet Brumm?" 

"Well, I didn't _meet_ him per se, he was just a part of the troupe when I was mature enough to become the leader. He served under my father as well, but I don't know how they met." Grimm said. 

"Hm, how old are Brumm and Divine?" you asked, curious. 

"I don't honestly know," Grimm said, laughing. "They're incredibly old, though. You've told me about your father, again I'm sorry for how he treated you, but you never told me about your mother. What's she like?" Grimm asked. 

"My mother was a wonderful person," you said, eyes lighting up. "She's always there for me when I need it, she's a wonderful cook. She taught me most of the recipes I know. And she and I share the same sense of humor, so we get along very well. It's why I go out of my way every month to visit her." 

Grimm saw the look in your eyes when you talked about her and smiled at it, "She seems like a wonderful person. I'm glad that she is no longer with your father." 

"I'm glad too," you admitted. "He was horrible to her, as well as me. He would always insult her for no reason," the look in your eyes changed to a sour one when you talked about your father, and Grimm took notice to this. "His words to her were enough to get me to hate him, let alone the words he gave to me." 

"I'm sorry you had such a rough upbringing with him, (y/n)." Grimm said in the caring tone that you'd never heard before. "It pains me to hear such things happen to you." 

You smiled at Grimm and said, "Thank you, Grimm. I've been doing much better with him out of my life. My mother has been too." The sourness in your eyes faded, which Grimm also took notice to. 

"You have incredibly pretty and expressive eyes, (y/n)." Grimm said, his compliment catching you off guard. 

"Th-thank you," you said, cheeks red. You felt incredibly flustered, which Grimm saw and smiled. 

"I just love how you can express your emotions so easily through the look in your eyes," he said. "Is that something all humans do?" 

His question made you smile at him, "Most people are expressive with their eyes, yes. There are some who aren't though, but they express their feelings in a different way." 

"How so?" 

"Mainly through body language," you explained. "If they're feeling sad, you can usually tell with how they sit, or how they walk, or how they just go about doing things." You took a sip of tea to let Grimm process your words. "Humans are weird, and our society is weirder." You summarized. 

"I think the most interesting part of your society is the technology," Grimm said, changing topics of conversation. "I would love to see it all." His eyes lit up as he began to imagine it for himself. "I'm sure your society is full of color and lights everywhere." 

You smiled at his childlike imagination and said, "You should see Times Square in New York."

"What is 'New York'?" Grimm asked with curiosity inside his voice.

You chuckled slightly and said, "New York is a city. It's one of the biggest in my country. It's called "The City that Never Sleeps' because it's always active. Times Square is a place within the city that has colorful lights and signs all over it." 

Grimm smiled as he said, "It sounds wonderful. How often do you go there?" 

"Oh, it's on the other side of the country from where I live," you explained. "It would be an all-day flight from where I live to there." 

Grimm eyes expressed confusion as he asked, "Flight? Can you fly?" 

You openly laughed at his question and said, "No no no, we have vehicles that can, but humans cannot fly." 

Grimm was clearly intrigued but changed the topics of conversation, "So, how are adjusting to being in the troupe?" 

"I've been adjusting pretty well, I think," you said. "It's been difficult, but I'm still holding on hope that I'll find my way home." 

Grimm looked at you with a slight bit of pity in his eyes, "I'm glad to hear you're hopeful, (y/n). If a way presents itself to get you home, then I'll help you." He put his hand on yours again. 

You blushed a slight bit at his touch and said, "Thank you, Grimm. I appreciate the kindness you've been giving me during my time here. It means a lot to me." 

Grimm smiled and said, "Of course, (y/n). We should get back to the tent, it's getting pretty late." He stood up and you followed suit. As you walked out of the cafe with Grimm, he grabbed your hand and led you through an incredibly busy crowd. As you pushed your way through and made it to the other side, Grimm didn't let go of your hand. You didn't mind though, his touch was a comfort to you since he was so far the only bug in all of Hallownest you knew you could trust. 


	11. A Common Enemy

You and Grimm had made it back to the tent. It was a long walk from the cafe, and your cloak was soaking wet. 

"Thank you for going into the city today, Grimm. I enjoyed myself today," you said to Grimm. 

"Of course, (y/n). I quite enjoyed myself as well," Grimm said, smiling slightly. "Well I'm quite tired, so I am going to go to bed. Goodnight, (y/n)," he said waving as he walked off. 

"Goodnight!" you called out as you entered your own room. You were quick to change into your sleeping clothes before you got into bed. Falling asleep was made easy due to the bed's comfort. 

~~~

Your vision was enveloped with a blinding scarlet haze, and you felt a tugging sensation as you closed your eyes. Once you opened them, you were in a pitch-black environment. There was an unfamiliar figure in front of you with their back turned to you. 

"A human..." Its voice hissed in your head. "I haven't seen one of your kind in a while," he said, turning around. Your heart began to beat rapidly once he revealed his figure to you. He looked exactly like Grimm, but his horns were a light red, and his cloak a vibrant shade of currant. 

"W-who are you?" you tried to remain confident as you asked, but it was clear you were incredibly frightened. 

"Someone who wants to help you." The stranger said. 

"Last time someone wanted to help me, they were a giant moth that tried to kill me," you said skeptically. 

"Ah, so you've met her," he said. "I guess I should properly introduce myself then, I am the Nightmare King. You are?" 

"(y/n), my name is (y/n)." you said. "Divine said that the last time you saw a human in your troupe you killed them in their sleep. Is that why I'm here?" 

"No, not this time," The Nightmare King said, "You're too powerful to kill. You've mastered the flame of the Nightmare Realm faster than anyone else I've seen before. With proper training, you could be even better than my son." 

"What?" you asked quietly, clearly confused. 

"You said the moth tried to kill you... How did you defend yourself?" The Nightmare King asked, smirking. 

It clicked in your head, "What do you mean I could be better than Grimm?" You asked. 

"Your mastery of the flame hasn't been seen in anyone before, especially a human," the Nightmare King explained. "The Nightmare Flame is strongest in those with hatred and spite. There must be someone that you hate tremendously in your life that gives you this spike in power." 

You knew immediately who it was you hated, "My father." You said through gritted teeth and clenched fists. 

The Nightmare King smiled widely and said, "Hatred towards someone you're supposed to love is the purest kind. You'll be perfect."

"You haven't told me what you want me to do," you said, placing your hands akimbo. 

"The Radiance, the moth you met, is going to want to enter your dreams again," the Nightmare King said. "If you defeated her once, then chances are she'll see your willpower and try to take it from you. We have a common enemy here." 

"Why is she your enemy? Why should I trust you?" You asked. 

"She betrayed me a long time ago. I've been trying to get back at her for centuries," he explained. "And I could kill you right now with incredible ease, but I'm not going to. That's how you can trust me." 

You were still skeptical, but you were also at his mercy so you didn't want to do anything that would anger him. "Alright, I'll trust you for now. You said 'with the right training'... does that mean you'll be training me on how to use the Nightmare Flame?" You asked, curious.

"It does, we'll begin the next time you see me," he said. "For now, I shall leave you to sleep in peace. Until next time, (y/n)," you were going to say something but you were cut off by him snapping.

Once he snapped you jolted up in your bed and gasped for air suddenly. You panicked, examining the walls until you realized where you were, and you were at peace once more. You had no way to check the time, so you decided to put on your cloak and go outside, wanting fresh air. You had a lot running through your mind as you walked towards the exit, the white noise of the rain slowly fading into audible earshot. You went outside and found a bench to sit on taking in the view of the sleeping city, and began to think about the strange bug you'd met in your dream.

"Can't sleep?" You heard Grimm's voice from behind you and it startled you a little bit. 

"No, not really." You said as Grimm sat down next to you. 

"Why not? Is something bothering you?" He asked. 

You didn't want to tell him of your encounter with the Nightmare King, so you said, "Just everything that's happened has been a lot to take in, in such a short time," you said. "It's just been a lot to process."

"I'm sorry that you were brought here, (y/n). It pains me to hear that there might not be a way out for you." Grimm said, placing a hand on your shoulder. 

You let your head droop and you let out a sigh as you said, "Well, there's nothing we can do about it now. All we can do is move forward with what we've been given." Your voice had a noticeable motivation behind it. 

"Are you sure you'll be able to move forwards?" Grimm asked. 

You looked down at him and said, "What other choice do I have?" 

~~~

It was the next day, Grimm had private matters to attend to so you decided to explore for the day. You had already seen most of the city, but you couldn't go anywhere else, the lockdown measures were being put in place today. You appreciated the city as you walked by yourself, the blue haze that enveloped everything became a comfort. Not much of note happened, and you eventually made your way back to the tent, but you were late for dinner. You sat down to eat as some of the younger Grimmkin got up to leave. You ate in silence because Grimm was nowhere to be seen. You weren't going to actively seek him out, because you figured he was best left to deal with his own business. You walked down the halls and made your way to your room. You made the proper preparations to sleep and as you were settling into the bed you heard Grimm's voice from the other side of the door. 

"Hello? (y/n)? May I come in?" He asked politely and with a soft voice you felt like you could drown in. 

"Y-yeah, come in." You said, sitting up. 

"How was your day?" He asked, coming in and sitting down on the chair behind the desk against the wall. 

"It was ok, not much happened." You said with a tired smile. "Thank you for asking."

"Well that's good to hear. I apologize for not being around today but I figured I should at least come in to say goodnight," he said, his eyes seemed tired but still were vibrant. 

"It's fine, Grimm. I'm glad you came in to say goodnight," you said, smiling at Grimm. 

"Goodnight, (y/n). I'll see you tomorrow." He said. He smiled and walked out to let you sleep, which you did. 

~~~

A scarlet haze clouded your vision and you knew that you were going to see the Nightmare King again. You felt a tugging sensation and closed your eyes, only to be met with the same red figure you met last night. 

"Welcome back, (y/n)? Ready to begin training?" The Nightmare King asked. 

"Y-yeah. I guess," you said, awkwardly rubbing your arm. 

"So you already have the basic abilities mastered, but there are plenty more that you haven't even discovered yet." He said. "Try holding your arm out straight in front of you. Focus the flame into a sharp point, one that would pierce even the toughest armor." 

You followed his words, holding your arm in front of you, palm facing outwards, and closed your eyes to focus. You focused on the shape of the flame which you had never done before, so you weren't sure you would be able to do it. You felt the heat of the fire rise inside of your chest before moving to your outstreched arm. You opened your eyes just before the fire came out and you saw that a flame with a sharp point had launched itself out of your hand at a high velocity. You surprised both yourself and the Nightmare King. 

"You're really good at this, (y/n)." His raspy voice complimented. "You're able to learn these abilities faster than anyone I've seen."

"Thank you," you said bowing slightly. "So, can I shape the flame into any form I want?" You asked, curious. 

"Yes, as long as you can visualize it, the flame can take its form." The Nightmare King said. "Now for something harder. I want you to focus on the flame, visualize it enveloping you. As it envelops you, think about a secondary flame in another position. Feel yourself move from one flame to the other, (y/n)." He explained what to do, but you were having a tough time doing it. 

You kept trying, and eventually after about 30 minutes, you successfully did it. You managed to teleport from in front of the Nightmare King to behind him. You spent the next hour mastering the teleportation ability until you felt like you were able to accomplish it without fail. The Nightmare King was clearly pleased with your performance, but something about it still felt off to you. You didn't know if you could trust him, but you figured you had no choice. 

"Well learned, (y/n). I want you to practice more during the day." He said. "The more you practice, the better you'll become." He said. He then snapped his fingers before giving you any opportunity to speak. 

You didn't jolt awake this time, instead you were prepared for the sudden transportation between realms. You didn't know how to properly feel about the Nightmare King, but you knew that if you didn't cooperate with him, he would kill you.


	12. The Second Performance

When you got out of bed, you did your usual morning routine before deciding what to wear. You threw on a black button-down and black form-fitting pants before exiting to go to breakfast. Once you got the schedule of mealtimes down, it made life easier because Grimm didn't have to come and get you. As you walked down the halls alone, you felt uneasy. You felt like there was someone watching, but every time you looked over your shoulder there was no one. You made it to the dining hall and sat down next to Grimm in your usual spot. 

"Good morning, (y/n). How did you sleep?" Grimm asked in a polite, but tired tone. 

"I slept pretty well, yourself?" You replied. 

"I slept well myself," Grimm said. "Also, don't forget we have a show tonight." He added.

"Ah yes, thank you for the reminder," you said, biting into the strange fruit you had become accustomed to. "I'll be ready," you assured Grimm. 

He smiled gently and said, "You'll do wonderfully." 

~~~

Grimm had returned to his room after breakfast and you had gone into the practice room for a couple of hours. After a sufficient amount of practice, you decided to return to your room but as you were walking you heard a noise coming from Grimm's room. You didn't want to listen, but you pressed your ear up to the door anyways. You heard muffled crying and were immediately concerned. _'Why would Grimm be crying? Should I check on him?'_ you had various thoughts running through your head, but you decided to cut your losses and knock on the door. 

"Grimm? May I come in?" You asked through the door. 

You heard sudden shuffling sounds through the door before, "Y-yes, come in." You opened the door and made your way in slowly, "What brings you here, (y/n)?" Grimm asked. You could tell he had just been crying because his cheeks were stained with tears. He was attempting to hide his face in a book. 

"I heard crying through the door and I just wanted to see if you were okay," you said, sitting on the edge of the bed next to him. 

"I-I'm fine, (y/n). Thank you," his voice trembled a little and he wasn't comfortable making eye contact. 

"Are you sure? Do you need to talk about something?" You asked Grimm, concern laced throughout your voice. 

Grimm sighed heavily and rubbed his face before saying, "I hate to say it, but I'm scared, (y/n). I've been getting flashes in my head while I sleep. All I've been able to decipher so far is you and the Nightmare King together," he said, looking down and avoiding eye contact. "I'm scared for you. I fear he may kill you."

You put a hand onto his shoulder and said, "I'll be fine, Grimm. You shouldn't worry about me when you have a whole troupe of bugs." Your voice was gentle and caring. 

"But none of them can make me laugh the way you can, none of them can be as brave as you can. You're special, (y/n), and I don't want to lose you," He admitted. When he finished speaking, he unexpectedly gave you a hug. 

You were quite shocked by the sudden embrace, but you accepted it and wrapped your arms around Grimm. You enjoyed the warmness of the embrace before eventually saying, "I really do appreciate your kind words, Grimm. They mean the world to me, but I still don't think you should worry about me this much though." 

"It just bothers me knowing that the Nightmare King could kill you in your sleep at any time," Grimm pulled away and finally made eye contact with you. "I don't know anything about these flashes I've been seeing, but I doubt they mean anything good."

You smiled at Grimm's concern and brought his hands into yours, "I'll be fine, Grimm. I promise."

Grimm sighed and said, "If you say so. But if anything weird happens to you in your sleep don't hesitate to tell me." 

"I will," you reassured Grimm while retaining your smile. You stood up and said, "I should get ready for the performance, as should you. I'll see you backstage." 

"See you then." You were about to leave before Grimm said, "(y/n)," just as you were at the door.

"Yes?" You responded, turning around. 

"Thank you, truly." Grimm said, smiling and standing up. 

"You're welcome, Grimm," you said. "If you ever need someone to talk to about anything, I'm always able to listen." 

"Thank you, (y/n). That means a lot to me," He said. "Well, you should probably go and get ready for the show... I'll see you backstage." 

"See you then," you said before walking out of the room. 

~~~

You were standing in the backstage area, watching the dancers and Brumm from the side. There was a large crowd tonight, but you figured it was because of the sign with "The Human Pianist" written on it. It was an incredibly strange feeling, being the only one of your kind in an unfamiliar kingdom, but you had grown accustomed to it, and for the most part, just ignored it. As the second act went off, the third went on and you went to your piano that was hidden by a curtain. You heard the sound of flames whooshing around and you knew the elder Grimmkin were on stage, wowing the audience with their mastery of the Nightmare Flame. 

About ten minutes had passed when you heard Grimm's booming voice through the curtain. "Ladies and Gentlemen, we hope you have enjoyed your night of magic and fun," he paused a little and the crowd took it as an opportunity to applaud. "We have two more acts left for you all tonight, but in the next act, the stage won't belong to any Grimmkin. It won't belong to me, it won't belong to any dancers. Tonight, the stage belongs to someone who I'm proud to say is a member of the troupe, and even prouder to call a friend," his voice was getting progressively louder as he was becoming more dramatic. "Tonight, the stage belongs to someone who challenges the restrictions that have been forced upon him by his society. Someone who suffered through the worst pain and came out an even stronger person. Someone who redefines what it means to be a man. May I present: (y/n)! The human pianist!"

As he finished his monologue, the curtain in front of you parted and revealed you to the crowd. You were wearing the same dress that you were during the other performance. With your posture perfect, and head held high, you struck the first chord aggressively once again. You summoned a flame that circled its way around you and into the air before returning into your body as you played. The crowd marveled at the sheer size of the flame. The first chord you played was aggressive, but the melody itself was played as sad and depressing. You thought of your home, and how you missed it dearly and poured those emotions into the ivory keys sitting in front of you. Thinking of your mother, you continued the sad melody. You then began to think of your father, which turned the song into one of anger. One of rage and defiance. As you thought of your father, putting your emotions into the piano for everyone to hear, you remembered how he looked when you met The Radiance. He had orange pustules and glowing eyes, which at the time frightened you. The melody then changed to match the feeling you had while playing. You then thought of the infected bug in the city, which made you think of the time you spent in the cafe with Grimm after you encountered it. You slowly but surely switched the song, giving it a new chord progression and changing key entirely. You expressed the peace and happiness you felt in the cafe, and how sitting with Grimm made you feel secure. You ended the song on a soft, high-pitched chord before standing up to bow. 

The second you stood, the audience was roaring with applause. Seeing that many people clapping for you filled you with a happiness that was hard to hide. You sat back down and readied to score Grimm's fight. He and the Grimmkin walked out on stage, and Grimm explained to the audience what the final act was with his usual dramatic flair. Grimm looked over to you and nodded, which was your cue to begin playing. Much like before, you played an intense piece with a high tempo. You kept playing, and as the fight was nearing its end you brought the song to its end too. All three figures on stage, including you, stood up and bowed. Grimm and his combatant left on opposite sides of the stage and the curtain closed in front of you, concluding another successful show. 

~~~

You hadn't gotten a chance to speak with Grimm after the show, so you went to your room and threw on your sleeping clothes. You had found a book on the desk of your room and decided to read it in bed. You had gotten through three or four chapters when you heard a knock on the door. 

"Come in." You were quick to reply, and you were inexplicably relieved to see Grimm come through the door. "Hey you," you said to the tall figure who had made his way fully into your room. 

"You were incredible tonight, (y/n)." Grimm said, sitting on the edge of the bed. "I didn't know you could summon a flame of that size. You're getting really good at that," Grimm pointed out.

"Thank you," you said. "Your choreography was immaculate," you complimented Grimm. 

"Thank you, I appreciate hearing that from you," he said with a smile that made your heart flutter ever so slightly. "Well, I just wanted to check in on you before you go to bed. I'll let you sleep now," he said standing up. You tried to protest, not wanting him to leave, but you were interrupted by a yawn. Grimm chuckled before saying, "Get some rest, (y/n). You clearly need it."

"Goodnight, Grimm." You said as he closed the door.

"Goodnight, (y/n)." Was his response before the door fully closed. Your exhaustion finally took the better of you and you were quick to fall asleep. As you fell asleep, your vision was replaced with a scarlet haze and you knew exactly who was waiting for you. 


	13. Emotions

"Hello, (y/n)," the Nightmare King said with his back turned towards you. "Did you practice your abilities at all today?" His voice hissed and made you feel nervous. 

"N-no, I never got a moment in private to practice," you stammered. "I apologize." 

"Well at least you're honest," he muttered angrily. "Tomorrow you will practice, or else I won't help you and will leave you to die by the hands of The Radiance." His voice was clearly upset, but you were surprised he showed any amount of patience at all. 

"Understood," your voice was quiet. 

He finally turned around to face you. "Great," he said, his voice was snappy and his eyes were looking into you. 

"W-what more do I have to learn?" You nervously asked.

"You have one more thing you need to learn, but that's something for a later date," the Nightmare King said. "Practice what you know for now."

He snapped before you could say anything else and you shot up in bed. You could tell it was the middle of the night because you stepped out of your room and all of the candles in the hall were unlit. You decided to practice the teleportation ability like the Nightmare King had told you to. You focused a flame around yourself, and then you focused the second one outside the tent in the city. The flames appeared without a problem, but traveling between the two is where you had the most issue. You focused incredibly hard on the second flame, trying your best, but to no avail. You eventually gave up and recalled the flame back to your body. You went outside into the rain on your own, and tried to teleport back inside. You focused a flame that enveloped you, then one inside your room. You were able to clearly visualize your room in your head, so you found it much easier to successfully travel between the flames. 

Back in your room, you stepped out into the hallway and attempted to teleport outside again. But as you were focusing the second flame, you heard a voice behind you.

"(y/n)?" Grimm's tired voice came from behind you. 

You immediately lost focus and were thrown off balance. You quickly recalled the flames to you and turned around to face Grimm. "H-hi, Grimm," you nervously stammered out. 

"What are you doing? Why are you circling yourself with flame in the middle of the hallway?" He asked. "It's the middle of the night."

You struggled to come up with a convincing alibi, stammering constantly but never saying anything cohesive. You eventually gave up, sighed, and asked, "Do you wanna go outside with me?" 

Grimm looked down at you and said, "I'd love to, just as long as you tell me what's been going on with you. You've been getting up in the middle of the night with recurring frequency."

"Alright," you said with a sigh. You and Grimm walked out into the cold rain. You put your hood up and began to shiver lightly, to which Grimm took notice and held his cloak above your head, shielding you from the rain. You didn't notice at first until you felt the rain stop hitting your head. You looked up and saw what Grimm was doing with his cloak. "Th-thank you," you stuttered out, clearly nervous. He looked down at you and smiled as you made your way to a bench to sit. 

When you sat down, Grimm sat down next to you and asked, "So tell me, what's been going on? If you're going to be there for me to talk to, then I'm going to be there for you." He added with an almost definitive tone of voice. 

You weren't comfortable making eye contact, but you managed to say, "The Nightmare King has been visiting me in my sleep almost every night for the past couple of days."

Grimm grew immediately concerned and asked, "What? Why didn't you tell me?"

"I-I don't know, he made it seem like I wasn't supposed to," you said, still not making eye contact. 

Grimm's concerned voice was still present as he asked, "Has he hurt you in any way?" 

"No no no, I'm okay. Thanks for asking," you were quick to say, not wanting him to worry about you. 

"Well, why is he visiting you in your sleep then?" Grimm asked, his voice a deep blend of concern and curiosity. 

"H-he said that he wanted to help me kill The Radiance," you said, making Grimm's eyes widen a little. "He said that she would come back to try and 'enslave my free will' or something like that. He wanted to help me kill her, so he was teaching me how to use the Nightmare Flame for combat." You explained. "He's forcing me to trust him, and said that if I didn't help him then he'd leave me to die to The Radiance." 

Grimm draped his arm your shoulders, which made your heart flutter slightly at his touch. He said, "I'm sorry this is happening to you, (y/n), truly. It pains me to hear such things happen to someone like you." His voice was soft and gentle. 

The emotional weight of your situation set in suddenly and became unbearable. You were tearing up, thinking of your friends and mother, and how you knew that you'd never see them again. You began quietly crying, to which Grimm suddenly pulled you into a warm embrace, wrapping his cloak around you. You were surprised at first but didn't reject it. You sat there in Grimm's warm and comforting arms as he said quietly, "I know you're homesick, (y/n). I promise that I will try to find a way to get you back home." His voice was caring. 

You were shaking while crying, but managed to quietly say, "Th-thank you." The tremble of your voice made him tighten his hug just a little bit. Eventually, he pulled away and your tears stopped. You laughed slightly at yourself and said, "God, I'm a trainwreck." Once your face was dry, you made eye contact with Grimm and said, "Thank you. I really appreciate you and everything you've done to help me be at ease here." You placed your hands on Grimm's while speaking. 

Grimm's bright eyes looked calmly back into yours as he said, "There's no need to thank me, (y/n). I'm just glad that you're still safe." He smiled. 

You smiled back and were about to say something, but your words were replaced with a yawn, which made Grimm chuckle slightly before saying, "Looks like someone's tired. We should get back inside." 

Grimm stood up and held out his hand to help you off the bench. You took it, and as you walked inside, he never let go. You didn't say anything because you didn't want to let go either. 


	14. In the City Together

Grimm had led you back inside and to your room. You and he stopped outside of the door to your room. "Thank you for letting me know about what's been troubling you, (y/n)." He said before you entered.

"Thank you for being there for me, Grimm," you said, looking up into his eyes. "It really does mean a lot to me." 

He smiled at you before asking, "Would you like to into the city again tomorrow? My schedule is clear and I could use some time away from the tents."

Your face lit up and you immediately said, "I would love to. What time would you like to meet up?" 

Grimm thought for a minute before saying, "After breakfast. Does that work for you?" 

"Yeah," you confirmed. "Should I wear anything special?" You asked. 

"Wear what you want to, you look good in anything," he said almost flirtatiously.

You smiled at his compliment and said, "Sounds good. I'll see you then." 

"Goodnight, (y/n)," He said, beginning to walk away.

"Goodnight, Grimm," you walked into your room and went to bed, sleeping peacefully for the first time in a long while. 

~~~

You were waiting for Grimm outside in the rain, but you were kept dry by the hooded cloak Grimm had given you. You had finished eating and Grimm went back to his room to change. You had decided to wear the red dress you wore while performing, not caring if anyone recognized you from the performance or not. You figured that if they didn't recognize you then they'd at least recognize Grimm. Grimm finally made his way outside, and as he came out he said, "Sorry about the wait, (y/n). I just wanted to look somewhat presentable." 

You smirked slightly and said, "You always look good, Grimm." 

Your compliment made him blush slightly. He asked, "So, what would you like to do? We have a lot of time." 

"I don't know," you said. "We could walk around and see what catches our eye?" 

Grimm smiled and said, "Sounds like a plan to me." 

You and him began to walk down the street. You were walking in silence, but it wasn't uncomfortable and awkward. You received stares from various bugs as you walked, but it didn't bother you much. You could tell from what people were wearing around you that red wasn't a common color, so the bright shade of currant that coated your dress made you juxtapose with the blue atmosphere of the city you were walking through. You were in town square by the fountain when you remembered Lemm and his pawn shop that he ran. "Hey, there's this little pawn shop not far from here. I told the owner I'd go in to see it sometime, wanna go do that?" You asked Grimm. 

Grimm looked down and said, "I'd love to." 

"Great, follow me," you said. As you lead Grimm through the busy streets, you grabbed his hand when you had to go through a rather large crowd. You kept walking, and you could tell Grimm wasn't going to let go of your hand. You weren't going to either. It was slightly amusing to think what you must've looked like from a third person perspective. You, a man wearing a dress holding hands with Grimm, a rather handsome bug that always appeared put-together and like he was of a higher class. Not to mention the fact that he was about a foot taller than you. 

You eventually made it to Lemm's store, and Grimm held the door for you as you walked inside. You thanked him and then heard a familiar voice, "Welcome to my pawn shop. How can I help you?" You saw Lemm behind the counter, but it was clear he didn't recognize you. 

"Hi Lemm. I just wanted to pop in and check the store out after you told me about it," your voice tipped him off as to who you were. 

"Ah, (y/n)! It's good to see you again," he walked out from behind the counter. "You look a little different then when we first met." 

You laughed and said, "Yeah, I'm not wearing a mask this time around." 

Lemm turned to Grimm and asked, "Who might you be, fine sir?" 

Grimm bowed and formally introduced himself, "I am Grimm, nice to meet you." 

"Ah, you must be the leader of this Grimm Troupe I've been hearing so much about." Lemm's voice was cheery. "I've heard many things about them, but the most often one is that they have a pianist who's a human." 

Grimm said, "You are correct, Lemm. I am the master of the Grimm Troupe, and we _do_ indeed have a human piano player." 

"That sounds fascinating," Lemm said. "I might have to go to a show to see them in person, then." 

Grimm chuckled and said, "They're right next to me." 

Lemm looked over to you in shock. He studied your figure intensely. "I guess I didn't notice when you walked in, but you do fit all the descriptions I've heard," his voice was curious. "Does your society still burn witches?" He asked. 

You laughed and said, "We haven't done that in about 400 years, Lemm." 

Lemm's cheeks went a little pink with embarrassment as he said, "Oh." 

You changed topics of conversation by saying, "This is a really nice place, Lemm." You looked around at the shop that surrounded you. The walls were a faded purple color and there were shelves lining the walls. They had a bunch of little trinkets on them, and you saw one that represented the Pale King. "What is this?" You asked. 

Lemm walked over to you and said, "That is a King's Idol. It is used to worship the Pale King, because we rarely ever see him outside of the palace. Each one is different from each other, tailored to it's owner," Lemm explained. "This one belonged to my mother before she passed." 

Your voice shifted to one of slight apology, "I'm sorry to hear your mother passed." 

Lemm sighed and said, "She was taken by the infection about a month ago. It's been hard, but I've been doing my best running the shop alone." 

You were quick to say, "Well if you ever need any help, I'm always willing." 

Lemm smiled and said, "Thank you, (y/n), but I think I can manage on my own." He went back behind the counter after saying that. You went to explore the rest of the shop with Grimm, seeing little toys and other things on the shelves. Grimm was examining something that resembled an egg, but was of an incredibly offputting shade of grey. 

After exploring for a while, Grimm eventually said to Lemm, "Well, thank you for having us here, Lemm, but we best get going." 

Lemm lifted his head up from what he was working on and said, "My pleasure, thanks for stopping by," his voice was cheery once more. "It was good to see you again, (y/n). I'll come to the next show you have to hear you play." 

You smiled and said, "Thanks Lemm, it was good to catch up with you as well." And with that you and Grimm walked out of the store. 

~~~

You and Grimm were sitting on a bench together, his legs were slightly pressed up against yours. He seemed deep in thought, and he was remaining silent, so you playfully asked him, "What's on your mind?" 

Grimm was surprised by your sudden question, but just sighed and said, "I've just been thinking about the infection. You said that The Radiance is behind it?" He asked. 

Your tone of voice became more serious and you said, "Yeah, from what I was able to gather." 

"Hmmm," Grimm hummed to himself, thinking once more. 

"Is there something I should know?" You asked Grimm, curious. 

Grimm sighed heavily and said, "Well, you've met both the Nightmare King and The Radiance. Did the Nightmare King tell you of what she did to him?" Grimm asked. 

"He mentioned that he wanted to get back at her for something, but never explained what." 

"Well, apparently, during a time before this land was ever called Hallownest, there was a moth tribe who lived here. They worshipped The Radiance, the goddess of Dreams. But they gradually stopped believing in her once the Pale King arrived, and now they pretty much all worship the Pale King instead. But, during the time before the Pale King, there was a second tribe that was never recorded by the history books. This second tribe worshipped the Nightmare King, god of nightmares, and the two remained at peace for quite some time. That is, until one day the moth tribe attacked under orders of The Radiance. 

"They had a long war that raged across the land, hundreds of casualties. The moth tribe ended up on top, and the Nightmare King sought protection for him and his loyal people in the Nightmare Realm. But the Nightmare Realm was dangerous to mortal bugs, so the Nightmare King eventually created the Nightmare Heart. The Nightmare Heart is what gives you and me our powers, and it is what allows mortals to enter the Nightmare Realm without dying a horrible and painful death." 

You paused for a second, thinking about the story Grimm had told you. "Wow." Was all you had to say. 

"Divine told me of that story, as I'm sure she'll tell my son once he is birthed and I pass on," Grimm said, eyes distant and sad. 

Grimm was silent for quite some time, thinking. You wanted to lighten the mood, so you said, "You're really good at telling stories, and I like that about you." 

Grimm blushed slightly at your compliment and said, "And you're really good at making me feel better when I'm feeling sad." He smiled at you. 

Your heart was fluttering again, and you didn't know why. You didn't really know what you were feeling, but you silently took Grimm's hand into yours. He gripped your hand as well, and you two enjoyed each other's company with no need for words. 


	15. Change of Scenery

You and Grimm sat with each other in the rain for quite some time. You were talking, laughing, and getting to know each other better than you'd ever had. You felt comfortable around him, and you were even beginning to notice his attractiveness that he had. His lean and fit body shone with a vibrant currant color underneath his cloak, which was definitely eye-catching to you. His height was a small bit off-putting, you estimated he measured to be six-and-a-half feet tall, and you were just 5'7. 

You and Grimm were sitting on the bench you normally did, and Grimm said, "You look lovely tonight, (y/n)." 

You were surprised by the sudden compliment and managed to stutter out a: "Th-thank you, y-you too." Your cheeks ran red with embarrassment.

Grimm chuckled at your stammering and said, "You're adorable," with a smile. He held out his hand for you to take, and you did. He and you held each other's hands as you sat on the bench. His hand was firm but warm. It was a comforting warmth in the cold of the rain. "We should do this more often, (y/n). Just you and I." Grimm said, replacing the silence that surrounded you two. 

You looked up into Grimm's vibrant eyes and said, "I'd like that." You decided to lean your head against his shoulder, to which he smiled. 

~~~

"I hope you've practiced your abilities since we've last met." The Nightmare King's voice hissed, he had his back turned to you. You were in the Nightmare Realm, visiting him in your sleep. 

"Indeed I have," you said. To prove it, you quickly teleported in front of the Nightmare King so that you were facing his front side. 

He only smiled and said, "Good... good. Now, this last thing you have left to learn is the most important, (y/n)." 

You looked into his eyes. They weren't comforting like Grimm's were, just offputting. You asked, "What's that?"

"You need to learn to travel between Dreams and Nightmares." The Nightmare King said. "This isn't something any normal bug can learn, but I believe you're able to achieve it." 

"Well, I'm no bug." You replied. 

The Nightmare King chuckled at this, "You indeed aren't. I'll teach you tomorrow. Traveling into the Dream Realm is quite the feat. For now, take a day off. You and Grimm seem to really enjoy each other." 

You were suddenly angry as you said, "Are you watching us?" He snapped right as you asked the question, so you never heard a response. 

You jolted awake in bed, which was something you hadn't done in a while. You were still skeptical of the Nightmare King, especially now that he revealed he's been spectating you. You got up and walked out into the hallway. From the sounds of chatter and the wall candles being lit, you knew it was morning. You went back inside your room to change, putting on a bright red button-down shirt and form-fitting black dress pants. 

As you made your way into the dining hall, people began to stare at you. Some were in shock, other awe. You were made incredibly uncomfortable as you sat down next to Grimm, who was also in awe but was able to explain why. 

"(y/n), your internal flame. It's so bright and powerful. Rivaling my own," Grimm said. "It's more active than ever." 

You looked down at the table, clearly nervous. "I-I'm sorry if that upsets you. I didn't know. you could see it." 

"It doesn't upset me, quite the opposite in fact. It just means you're becoming one of our most powerful." Grimm said, placing a hand on your shoulder. "Look at me, (y/n)." His voice was calm, and you could tell he didn't want to say anything to hurt you. You made eye contact with him and he said, "You could never do anything that would upset me." 

You relaxed a little, and when you looked around you noticed everyone went back to continuing their normal conversations. You looked back into Grimm's eyes and said, "Thank you." 

Breakfast was rather silent after that. You and Grimm had both finished and went to your respective rooms. 

~~~

There was a slight knock on the door to your room, and you quickly replied with "Come in." 

Grimm stepped in and said, "Hello, (y/n). How are you?" 

You had been sitting at the desk in your room, so you stood up to speak. "I've been doing good, yourself?" 

Grimm replied, "I've been good, thanks for asking. Listen, (y/n). The King wishes to speak with us again." 

You were surprised by this, "What?" 

"I don't exactly know why, but we must follow his requests. There's a kingsmould waiting to escort us outside." Grimm said, his voice wasn't nervous, but his eyes said something different. 

You replied with, "Alright. Let's not keep him waiting, then." 

~~~

"Ah, Grimm." The King said as you two walked into his conference hall. "(y/n), it's good to see you too." 

"Thank you, your majesty," Grimm said with a slight bow. You followed suit, saying your thanks and bowing. "May I ask why you've summoned us here?" Grimm asked. 

"I need some advice. You two seemed like the only that could help in this matter." The Pale King said as you and Grimm took a seat. "As you know, The Hollow Knight was assigned the role of savior, taking the source of the infection into their shell willingly. What I've kept a secret from the public is that they're actually a child of mine." The Pale King said with sadness.

Grimm and you were shocked at this news. "They're your child? And they took the infection within themselves?" You asked, surprised. 

"Unfortunately so, although it was what they were born to do." The Pale King said. "They day they were born was the worst day in the kingdom's history, and no one even knows about it. I wish I could forget what I had to do that day." He was clearly pained by the memory. 

"What advice do you need from us?" Grimm asked the Pale King. 

He looked and made eye contact with Grimm. "I need to know about traveling between dreams and the mortal plane. Since you use the Nightmare Realm for travel, I figured you would be the perfect person to ask." 

"I appreciate you considering me a knowledgeable person in this field, but sadly I am not. Traveling to the Dream Realm was something that I and all Grimms before I was forbade to do." Grimm said with solemnity. 

The Pale King sighed and said, "I guess that makes sense. (y/n), I'm curious. What would your society do in a situation such as this?" The King's question caught you off guard. 

"O-oh, well we actually were in a pandemic a couple of years ago. There was a large virus that spread across the planet incredibly fast." You explained, much to the King's fascination. "Although, it was just a virus. It didn't have anything to do with Dream Realms or anything like that. There was no large moth that was behind it all for us." As soon as you said the last sentence you immediately regretted it. 

"You've met the Radiance?" The Pale King asked, slightly concerned. 

"O-only once, y-your majesty. She c-came into my dreams to infect me, b-but I resisted." You stammered out. You mentally slapped yourself in the face for bringing up the Radiance.

"Interesting..." The Pale King said, leaning back in his chair. "I didn't know such a thing was possible. You held your own against an angered goddess and lived to tell the tale, (y/n). Not everyone can say the same." 

"I-I don't really know how I did it, your majesty." You said, nervous. 

"Hmm." The King hummed. "As interesting as this has been, I still need to know how to travel to the Dream Realm. If neither of you can help me in this matter, then I shall send you back to the capital city." 

You suddenly remembered about your visit with the Nightmare King. "Your majesty, I should inform you," you started. "I've been visited by the Nightmare King in my sleep on several occasions." 

The Pale King was interested once more. "The Nightmare King? You seem to have a weird problem with gods visiting you in your sleep, (y/n)." 

"That's beside the point, your majesty. He claimed he could teach me to travel to the Dream Realm the next time I see him." You said. 

"What?" Grimm asked, surprised. "Why didn't you tell me about this?" 

You replied, "It was just last night. It never crossed my mind. I'm sorry." 

"This is good news, (y/n). If you can travel to the Dream Realm, then you can surely teach others how to do so as well." The Pale King said, excitement behind his voice. 

"I'm sorry your majesty, but you have to have the power of the Nightmare Flame in order to travel in the way (y/n) is going to be taught," Grimm said.

"Hmm..." The Pale King seemed deep in thought. "(y/n), do you know when you'll next see the Nightmare King?" 

"Unfortunately not, your majesty. He decides when to visit me, not the other way around." You said. 

"Then it's decided. You'll stay in the palace until further notice." The Pale King said definitively. 

"What?" Grimm exclaimed. "Forgive me, your majesty, but he's a member of my troupe. He's staying with me." 

"Then you'll both stay here." The Pale King said as if it was obvious. "We only have one guest room, so you'll have to share." 

"I have an entire troupe of bugs that require my attention, your majesty," Grimm said, desperate. 

"Do you have a second in command?" The Pale King asked. 

"Yes but..." Grimm was cut off.

"Then you'll send them a message informing them of the change of plans." The Pale King decided. "This will only be temporary, Troupe Master. After this is done you and (y/n) can run away with your vagabond circus all you like." 

Grimm was furious but held his tongue. He didn't wish to anger the Pale King, he didn't need a Wyrm for an enemy. The Pale King could see Grimm's anger but ignored it. You cleared your throat to try and ease the tension, then asked, "We do appreciate you letting us stay in the palace, your majesty. May Grimm and I go into the hall to talk privately for just a moment?" 

The Pale King saw the look of desperation on your face and said, "Certainly. Once you return I'll have a kingsmould guide you towards the guest room." 

"Thank you, your majesty. We'll only be just a second." You said, practically dragging Grimm out into the hallway. 

Once you two closed the door behind you, Grimm exclaimed, "I can't believe him!" 

"Grimm, please try to calm down." You said in a calm and rational voice. "Understand it from his point of view. He has an entire kingdom to look after, if he needs our help then so be it."

Grimm seemed to calm down a small bit, but still had anger present as he said, "I can't believe he tried to take you away from me." 

You furrowed your eyebrows as you asked, "What do you mean by that?" 

"I was afraid of what he'd do with you without me there to protect you," Grimm said with a now gentle voice. 

You sighed and took Grimm's hands into yours, smiling as you looked into his eyes. "I would've been fine, Grimm. He's royalty, and I'm a foreigner. Plus I'm gay and I'm fairly certain he isn't." Your voice was gentle as well, it had a slight caring tone to it. "I appreciate your concern, I really do. But you don't have to protect me all the time, Grimm." 

"But how can I ensure you're safe if I'm not with you?" Grimm asked, his voice had a bit of concern behind it. "You know I don't want to lose you." 

"He did offer you to stay here as well, Grimm." You pointed out.

"He said he only had one room, though," Grimm said, nervously breaking eye contact. 

You responded with, "Okay. And?" 

Grimm nervously said to the floor, "I wasn't sure you'd be comfortable with sharing a room. I didn't want to impose anything on you." 

You chuckled at his politeness. "Grimm, I'm not a child. We can share a room, that's fine." 

"Are you sure?" Grimm asked, regaining eye contact. 

"If it will help the Pale King, then I say we should do it," you said. "Plus I didn't figure I was given much of a choice." 

Grimm smiled and said, "If you're willing to do it, then so am I." He tightened his grip on your hands for only a moment before letting go. He pushed the door back open to the conference hall. "Your majesty, we've talked it over. We'll be willing to stay in the castle for as long as you need us here, but we won't hesitate to leave once our presence is no longer needed." Grimm announced. 

"Perfect." The Pale King said, standing. "I'll go get a kingsmould to show you to the guest room." He left you and Grimm alone in the conference hall.

"Let's hope the troupe can manage their performances without us," Grimm said. "Without you there, our profit is sure to dwindle." 

You tried to lighten his mood as you said, "Well if I'm gonna be staying with anyone in the palace, I'm glad it's you." You took his hand into yours, holding it tightly. 

"(y/n), there's something I should tell you," Grimm said, his voice was a little nervous. 

You looked up into his vibrant and asked, "What's that?" 

Grimm sighed and said, "I love you, (y/n)." 


	16. Adjusting

Grimm's confession of love had caught you entirely off guard. You began to nervously stammer out, "I-I'm sorry... b-but I-I..." 

Grimm smiled gently and asked, "You don't share the same feelings, do you?" 

You shook your head. 

He retained a soft smile as he said, "That's okay (y/n). I understand." 

Your cheeks were bright red with embarrassment, "It's nothing against you, Grimm." You said. "You're a wonderful person, truly. It's just that I'm still trying to get home, and I guess there are just a lot of things that are confusing to me right now." 

"Like what?" Grimm's question was simple, but hard to answer at the same time. 

You sighed and said, "Everything, really. So many things here are just foreign to me that adjusting hasn't been the easiest thing in the world. I've gotten used to being part of the troupe, which I enjoy being a part of very much, but I just feel out of place a lot." You admitted. "Being the only human here just feels... weird." 

"I'm sorry that becoming part of the troupe was forced on you, (y/n)," Grimm said. "If there's any way to get you home, I won't hesitate to help you in any way I can." Grimm's voice was sincere. 

You finally made eye contact with Grimm, "Thank you." He gave you a warm smile in return.

~~~

A kingsmould was showing you and Grimm to your room. There was an uneasy silence hanging in the hallways as you walked. You weren't sure of what was to come, which made you nervous. Grimm was not enjoying being a resident in the white palace. As the kingsmould stopped in front of a door, they grunted, "This is your room. If you have questions over anything, seek The White Lady, or the Five Great Knights. The King is always busy, so don't bother him." They walked away, their loud footsteps reverberating off the walls. 

You and Grimm entered the room. You could tell Grimm wasn't a fan of the white aesthetic, and it bothered you as well to a degree. "They couldn't add a single drop of color to this place?" Grimm asked. 

You chuckled slightly and said, "Well if they did they couldn't call it the 'white palace'." You noticed there were two wardrobes, one was taller than the other. You looked into the shorter one and saw robes that were, unsurprisingly, white. You opened the taller one, and saw a long cloak that was white on the outside and black on the inside. "I think the king wants you to wear this," you said to Grimm, who was examining the bed. 

He walked over to the wardrobe and saw the cloak. "Abosolutely not. What would the troupe think if I returned in that?" He looked the floor-length cloak over. 

You walked the perimeter of the room, looking at the walls. You saw there was a large portrait of the king himself on one of the walls and said, "Well that's... tacky." 

Grimm looked to the picture you were talking about and said, "This guy is quite full of himself, even for a king. Did you know that he's convinced the public that looking him in the eye will make them go blind?"

You laughed at that. "Really? Good lord." 

You and Grimm examined the room for a while longer before there was a knock on the door. You opened the door to find a tall figure standing on the other side. The tall figure had a feminine form, and she had what appeared to be tree roots coming from the top of her head, but they were entirely white. "Hello, I am the White Lady. The Queen of Hallownest." her voice was soft and easy to listen to. "I'd like to introduce myself and offer a tour of the palace if you two are interested." 

"Good evening, your majesty." Grimm's tone had changed completely from when you were joking about the room decor. It was much more formal and polite, the same way he talked to you the first day you were here. "I am Grimm, master of the Grimm Troupe." 

"I have heard many things about the Grimm Troupe. Some of them positive, others not so much." She said. You had no idea what she meant, but you noticed Grimm's arms tense up.

"Hello, your majesty." You said, bowing slightly. "I am, (y/n)." You made sure to have a polite and formal tone of voice as well. 

She turned to look at you and said, "It is a pleasure to finally meet you, (y/n). The Pale King told me about your presence in our kingdom, and I couldn't wait to finally see you in person. It's not every day you see a human in our midst, so I couldn't help but be intrigued." 

You chuckled nervously and said, "Yeah... I get that a lot." 

The Queen started to examine your figure, making you uncomfortable. Grimm noticed your facial expressions and cleared his throat, taking her attention away from you. "So you mentioned a tour of the palace? I think that would be splendid." 

"Ah yes, thank you for reminding me." The White Lady said. She guided you two out of the room and down the halls of the palace. 

~~~

"So, this is the gardens." The White Lady had shown you most of the palace, saying she was saving her favorite spot for last. "This is probably the best place in the entire palace. Often I sit in here to relax, or just to get away from the hectic environment of the palace." 

"It's quite lovely," you said, admiring the plants and vines that encompassed the walls. There was a balcony that overlooked the exterior of the palace. You stepped onto it and looked over the railing at the palace grounds. You saw kingsmoulds patroling the perimeter of the palace. You turned around and asked the Queen, "Is that the entire tour?" 

She smiled and said, "It certainly is. If you wish to return to your room and get some sleep, then please feel free to do so. If you ever need me, chances are I'll be here." 

Grimm walked over next to you and said, "Well, thank you kindly for this tour. I was curious though, how can I send a message to my troupe? They'll need some kind of instruction for what to do when I'm gone." 

"We can send a royal retainer down to tell them of your message, but that will have to wait until tomorrow, unfortunately." The White Lady said. "For now, though, get some sleep. We will send someone to fetch you in the morning." 

You and Grimm bowed and both said, "Thank you, your majesty."

Grimm and you were walking down the halls towards your room. "How long do you suppose we'll be here?" Grimm asked, trying to make conversation. 

"I'm not sure, honestly. Whenever the Nightmare King decides to visit me, but after that I don't know." You admitted. "If they want me to travel between the realms, does that mean they want me to try and kill the goddess?" You were contemplating out loud. 

"I highly doubt that, (y/n). They'll just want you to teach them, and make a fool of themselves when they realize you can't," Grimm said, sighing. "Only those who contain the Nightmare Flame can travel through the Nightmare Realm, they should know that." 

"They'll figure that out eventually," you said. 


	17. An Offer

"Welcome, (y/n)." The Nightmare King's voice hissed. 

You stood and said, "Am I learning how to travel between realms tonight?" You asked, curious. 

"Indeed," he said simply. He turned to face you. "To start, clear your mind." You did as was instructed, clearing your mind of thought. "Now, focus on your truest anger. Doing this without a Dream Nail requires immense focus and ability. I know for a fact you're capable of it, (y/n). Focus on what brings you the most hatred and focus on using that hatred to travel."

You closed your eyes and your focus immediately went to your father, as he was the one you hated most. You focused on your hatred and visualized it. You imagined your hatred turning into a gateway of sorts, and you imagined yourself stepping through it. As you did this, you felt a tugging sensation on your chest. You opened your eyes and were shocked at what you found. You were back home, but it was different. You were laying on your dorm room bed once more, but everything had a red haze to it as you walked out into the hallways. There were no people. Anywhere. You stepped out into the middle of the street. You were immediately off-put by the lack of any sign of life. You noticed the sky was a deep shade of currant as well, and there was a harsh wind biting at your legs. You looked around and called "Hello?" 

"Why hello, (y/n)." The Nightmare King's voice startled you. 

"Oh jeez," you said, turning around quickly. "You scared me, man." 

The Nightmare King smiled, which was offputting, "My apologies." 

"Why are you smiling like that?" You asked. 

The Nightmare King sighed and said, "The second you return to somewhere that looks like your home your vernacular and way of speech changes. You might not have noticed, but in Hallownest your speech was formal and polite, here it is not," he explained. 

You took a moment to think upon his words. "Weird," was all you said. "So... where are we right now?" You were curious. 

"The Nightmare Realm," his voice was blank. "Was it not obvious?" 

Your eyes darted around at the environment around you, "Hindsight 20-20." 

"Here lies your greatest fears, angers, and regrets," The Nightmare King said. "I come here to feed off of them." 

You were immediately taken aback by his words, "Excuse me, what?" 

"I thrive off of nightmares, (y/n). A long time ago, when Dreams and Nightmares co-existed, I would feed off of the nightmares of everyone I could, allowing dreams to take their place. I was only trying to help them, but..." his words trailed off. 

"They still attacked your people anyways," you finished his sentence for him. 

"Yes, how did you know about that?" The Nightmare King's voice was full of confusion. 

"Grimm told me, he told me about the two tribes and the Radiance's sudden attack," you explained. "I'm sorry for what happened to you. That must've sucked." 

The Nightmare King chuckled slightly and said, "I guess you could put it that way, yes. It indeed did... _suck._ " 

You furrowed your brows and said, "Please don't say the word 'suck' like that ever again." 

The Nightmare King changed topics of discussion by saying, "You need to learn to travel to the Dream Realm. In theory it's the same process as traveling here, but there are a few key differences." He explained. 

"What kind of key differences?" You asked. 

"For starters, you must focus on your greatest aspritions. Focus on who want to be, not who others want you to be. Focus on yourself, and all of the positive aspects of your life," he said calmly. 

You complied, closing your eyes. You began to think of what your career goal after college is. You began to think of your mother and your friends, and how much they impacted your life for the better. Slowly but surely, though, your thoughts shifted to Grimm. You began to focus on how much you enjoyed his company, how much he could make you laugh. How even though he was supposed to be a dark and mysterious figure, you saw through it and saw his true colors. You saw the loveable, goofy gentleman he was. Your heart began to flutter thinking about him, and you tried to visualize that feeling. A feeling of true joy and positivity. You focused on your dreams, dreams of being successful, dreams of being with others, and your dreams of being loved. You didn't even have to envision a gateway before a tugging sensation rang throughout your chest once more.

You opened your eyes and were taken aback by your surroundings. You were standing on a floating platform, there was architecture much like that of Hallownest. There were clouds everywhere, and through those clouds there was a ray of light. Over the horizon, you saw the sun, bright and warm. Your feelings of peace were immediately taken away when you saw the sun had spread wings, you looked around for the Nightmare King, but he was nowhere to be seen. 

All at once, the Radiance appeared in front of you. "Hello again, (y/n)." Her voice was motherly and comforting, but you didn't let it take over your emotions. 

You readied yourself into a fighting stance, covering your hands in Nightmare Flames. 

The Radiance chuckled and said, "There's no need for that. I won't try what I did the first time we met. I just wish to speak with you." 

"How can I trust you?" You asked the moth who towered over you. 

"Would this help?" She asked. All at once, a flash of white light took over your vision. You looked to where the Radiance was once floating, and in her place stood a bug of regular size. She was about Grimm's height, and she had a beautiful flowing dress. "I really do only wish to speak."

You lowered your hands, and called the flames back into your body. "I still don't trust you," you said, walking up to her. 

"That is fine, I cannot force you to trust me," her voice was calm, but tired. "After our first encounter, when you bested me, I decided that when we next meet, I'd give you an offer." 

"What kind of offer?" You asked, curious. 

"A simple one. I can bring you home, but you'll have to kill the Nightmare King." 


	18. Embrace the Heart

"I... I'll have to think about it." You were skeptical of what the Radiance had offered. 

"But why? Isn't that what you wanted the moment you entered Hallownest?" She asked. 

"Yes, but..." your words were trailing off. 

"But what?" 

"But I have people that I care for in Hallownest," you admitted, thinking of Grimm. "In killing the Nightmare King, I'd be killing them too." 

"Oh, are you talking about his silly troupe? Nonsense." 

You were starting to feel a slight twinge of anger. "What do you mean nonsense?" 

"You might care for them, but they don't care for you," she said like it was obvious. 

"That's not true," you said, trying to keep your composure. 

"Oh but it is, (y/n). They'll never see you as one of their own. You're too different from them." Her voice was starting to become harsh as she prodded at your insecurities. "You've always suspected it, (y/n). Why not just accept it? Kill the Nightmare King and I can take you home." 

"I'm not falling for your lies," you said, maintaining your composure still. "How would you even suggest I go about killing him, huh? I use the powers of the Nightmare Heart, I guarantee he could take that away from me in an instant." 

"Well, I could bestow my powers upon you. You'd be unstoppable." She had an evil spark in her eyes that was incredibly offputting. "Think about it." 

"I don't want to think about it." You shifted your weight on your feet, still skeptical of the Radiance.

"Why's that? You'd be perfect. I can see that you have so many dreams and aspirations; I know my powers would be a perfect fit for you."

"You don't know anything about me," you felt your anger returning. "I've had enough of this." You began to focus on the real world, trying to envision yourself traveling back into the palace, back to Grimm. You kept focusing, feeling the power swell up within, but only to die back down and not do anything. "Why isn't it working?" You were getting desperate to escape the Dream Realm. 

"Because I won't allow you to return to the waking world until you've made the right decision." The Radiance's voice came from behind you. "Agree to kill the Nightmare King, then you can leave." 

"You already know I'm not agreeing to such a thing," you said. 

"Then I guess you're trapped here," she said simply. 

Your anger quickly swelled. Your head was running a mile a minute, thinking of options on how to escape, which the Radiance took note of. 

"You're wasting your energy, (y/n)." She called out. 

You were running out of options. You focused on traveling to the Nightmare Realm, but to no avail. 

"Just accept my power, (y/n). You're the only one making this difficult."

"No!" Your voice was short and snappy, conveying your anger towards the Radiance. 

"Why are you being difficult?" She was suddenly in front of you, anger of her own was obvious. 

You looked her in the eyes. You began to feel different, you felt a power surging within yourself. "I'm always difficult. It's my thing." 

The Radiance growled in response and transformed back into her large moth form. "Fine! If you won't willingly submit then I'll make you submit!" 

She began to attack you, firing pearly-white swords in your direction. You dodged them and summoned swords of red fire, mimicking her attack. One landed a hit, only causing her anger to grow. She began to summon orbs of light. You tried to dodge them, but they followed you wherever you went. 

"She what kind of power you're missing out on!" Her voice was at a yell. 

One of the orbs struck you across the chest, leaving a searing pain and a scorch mark. You were knocked to the ground, writing in pain. 

"This is your own fault," she said menacingly. You saw one of her pale swords hovering above your head.

You felt the power surging within you grow. It was an incredibly warm feeling, increasing in intensity to the point where it became unbearable. As the feeling was building up, your anger was leaving you slowly. The searing pain was also fading, and your mind felt clear. All at once, the power within you had bursted outwards. You were suspended midair, and your chest began to feel hot. The heat you felt within your chest began to disperse, spreading to your entire body. It wasn't a painful feeling. You could hear a loud heartbeat that wasn't your own. It was distant-sounding, but it was there. You slowly floated back to the ground, and your mind was at peace. You felt confident, composed, but most of all: powerful. 

You looked at yourself in the reflection of the sword that was hovering over you. Your eyes were purely red, glowing like Grimm's. You had trails of flame circling your body, and the white robes of the palace had changed to a black color with a red interior. They had shortened in length as well, having once dragged behind you on the floor, but now they only went to your knees. The rest of your legs were concealed by black form-fitting pants. You also noticed the sleeves of the robes had been removed as well, exposing the sleeves of the red shirt you were wearing underneath the robes. 

"What... was that?" The Radiance asked, her voice full of confusion and exasperation. 

You turned to look the Radiance in the eyes. "I'm not sure," your voice was calm and didn't share the same confusion as hers. The heartbeat you heard had slowed in pace and lowered in volume. It didn't fade away completely, but it was much less audible than before. You felt power surging through your body, as you examined your hands, fire dancing on your fingertips. 

"We're done here," your voice was definite. You focused on the Nightmare Realm, able to envision it much more clearly than you had previously. You snapped your fingers, and all at once, a tugging sensation pulled at your chest. 

~~~

"Welcome back, (y/n)." You heard the Nightmare King's voice. You were lying on the bed in your dorm room in the Nightmare Realm. "It took you a while." 

You sat up to say, "Yeah, I had a bit of a run-in with the Radiance." 

"Oh really? And you're still alive? Impressive," the Nightmare King said, examining your carapace. He noticed the wardrobe change, "Where did these clothes come from?"

"Something weird happened in the Dream Realm," you explained. "She said she could take me home if I killed you." 

"Oh?" His voice sounded weirdly intrigued. 

"I refused the offer," you said, clutching your head, trying to remember the details of what happened. 

"Smart. You wouldn't have been able to kill me even if you tried," he said simply. 

"That's what I told her," you felt tired. "She tried to trap me in there with her, but I managed to return here." 

"Really? That takes some skill, (y/n). No ordinary person can wiggle out of her grasp like that," he said. 

"She also offered to bestow her powers onto me, but I refused that as well." 

"Good. She would've just tried to take over your body. No one person can contain the power of Nightmare and Dream simultaneously. It would be too much for one consciousness."

"Can you get me home? If she said she could, then wouldn't you be able to as well?" You asked, curious. 

"I don't know. It's... plausible," he said. "But for now, I still need you to kill the Radiance." 

"I wanted to when I was fighting her in there, but something unexpected happened," you said. 

"What happened?"

You finally made eye contact with the Nightmare King, revealing the new, vibrant color your eyes were.

The Nightmare King smiled and said, "You've accepted the Heart's gift fully. Most don't, they try to refuse it. You've accepted your anger, and instead of letting it control you, you weaponized it." 

"I'm confused," you admitted. 

"You did what even Grimm has not managed to do. You've accepted the Nightmare Heart into you, and allowed it to grant you its full power. You and I are the only ones to have done so, (y/n). We're equals in power."

You examined your body, then looked back at the Nightmare King. "Woah..." was all you had to say. 

The Nightmare King chuckled slightly before saying. "It's good to finally see someone who shares the same gift as I. (y/n), I know you wish to return home, but I'm asking you to stay. Stay here, and we can break the bonds that hold the Nightmare Heart. Stay here, and we can work together to become powerful." 

You sighed and laid back down in the bed. You waited a while to ask, "May I return back to the waking world? I need to think about this." 

"Nothing's keeping you here. Go ahead," he said simply. 

"I thought you controlled when I came and went?" 

"Not anymore. Just focus, much like you did to travel here from the Dream Realm." 

You focused on the living world, on Hallownest. You focused on the room you were staying in with Grimm, visualizing it in your head. You closed your eyes and felt a tugging sensation on your chest once more. "Til we meet again, (y/n)." You heard the Nightmare King's raspy voice fade away, and you saw a smile cross his face. Not a sinister smile, but one that was genuine. 

~~~

"(y/n)? Are you awake?" You heard Grimm's voice. 

You didn't open your eyes, but still responded. "Yeah... yeah I'm up." 

"You've got some explaining to do, (y/n)." His voice was concerned. "You were floating in the air. You had trails of flame coming out of your chest, and your heartbeat was so loud I could hear it!" He exclaimed. "What happened? Did you meet the Nightmare King again? Did he hurt you?" 

You opened your eyes and smiled, seeing the shock on Grimm's face at your new appearance. "I went through a lot last night," you said. The concern on Grimm's face made your heart flutter once more, and you knew what you were feeling this time. "Grimm." You said, looking into his eyes. 

"Yes, (y/n)?" 

"I haven't been truthful with you. I do share the same feelings as you," you sat up, pushing the bed's blankets off of you, revealing the clothing you were now wearing.

"I love you too, Grimm."


	19. True Love

"(y/n)..." Grimm was left speechless by your confession of love. You leaned forward and embraced him. He quickly returned the hug, wrapping his arms tightly around you. You two enjoyed each other's company for quite a while. You had gotten out of bed to help Grimm make it, the sheets being extremely untidy after last night.

"So what happened from your perspective last night?" You asked Grimm, curious. 

"Well... I woke up to an incredible warmth. Your body was increasing in heat, and your face was contorting," Grimm explained. "I tried to shake you awake, but it didn't work. You remained like that for quite some time until you began to rise out of bed. You were floating midair, but your back was arched. Streams of Nightmare Flame came rushing out of your chest and around you."

"Wow... Sorry for worrying you," you said. 

"What happened while you were asleep?" Grimm asked as you helped straighten the comforter on the bed. 

"It was an eventful night, I'll say that much," you said. "It started off with me and the Nightmare King in an all-black environment," 

"The Nightmare Realm," Grimm said, interrupting. 

"No... the Nightmare Realm is different. We did go to the Nightmare Realm, though. He did teach me how to travel between the realms," You explained. 

"Well that's good to hear. Hopefully we can help the Pale King and get out of the awful palace," he said, looking at the walls in disgust. 

"I went to the Dream Realm after the Nightmare Realm, and I confronted the Radiance," you explained. 

"Oh my, are you okay, (y/n)?" Grimm asked. "Did she hurt you?" The concern in his voice was cute to you. 

"She did burn me at one point... I wonder if the mark is still there," you said, removing your shirt to examine your chest. There was an incredibly large burn mark on your abdomen.

"Goodness, (y/n). We need to get this looked at," he said, examining the mark. "We'll take you to whatever doctor this place has." 

"I feel fine, Grimm. Really, it doesn't hurt at all," you said, placing a hand on the mark. 

"Are you positive?" Grimm asked, looking into your eyes with his vibrant and worried ones. 

You smiled and said, "Yes, Grimm. Thank you, though." 

He smiled back before saying, "What happened next?" 

"Well..." you started. "The Radiance gave me an offer. She said she could bring me home, if I killed the Nightmare King." Grimm looked shocked, but you continued. "I refused the offer, knowing the fact that I couldn't kill him even if I wanted to, and that killing him would also result in your death as well. She then trapped me in the Dream Realm, and tried to force me to submit to her. We fought for quite some time until something strange happened.

"I felt a surge of power and anger flow into me, but instead of letting it take over, I tried to control the anger. After that, what happened to me in bed happened to me in the Dream Realm as well. The Nightmare King explained what it was to me, he said it was me 'accepting the Nightmare Heart fully'. He said it's something that only he and I have ever done, making me and him 'equals in power'. So after that happened, I managed to break free from the Dream Realm and back into the Nightmare Realm. I met up with the Nightmare King and we talked for a bit. He told me that together we could 'break the Nightmare Heart's bonds' or something like that. Now I'm here." You finished. 

Grimm was wide-eyed at your story. "All that, just last night?" 

"Yeah," you replied. 

"I'm sorry this is happening to you, (y/n). Truly. I promise I'll help you find a way home..." 

You cut him off by pulling him into an embrace. "I love you, Grimm. We don't have to prioritize me going home. I want to help out here, I want to be a member of the troupe. This is the fresh start I've wanted my life to have for a while, I just didn't realize it at the time," 

"I love you too, (y/n)," he said, tightening his arms around you. 

~~~

Grimm was deciding what to wear, still not wanting to wear the white cloak that the King gave him. You had decided to change the red shirt underneath the robe, instead wearing a slim, black shirt.

"Grimm, just wear it. You'll look good in it," you said, sitting on the bed. 

"I don't want to wear it. It goes against the troupe's aesthetic," he said. 

You rolled your eyes and said, "Grimm. We can't keep washing the same cloak every day. If you want the King to be more willing to let us leave, then it would be smart to wear his colors." 

Grimm pondered this. "I guess you're right..." 

You laughed slightly and stood to walk over to Grimm, "Of course I'm right, now come on." You handed him the cloak. "You'll look great in it." 

Grimm sighed and went to go change. Once he was finished, he came out of the bathroom and looked embarrassed. 

You could see the embarrassment on his face and said, "You look great, like I said you would. Now come one, we should go speak with the King." You ushered him out of the room. 

The black and red of your robes juxtaposed the white of the walls, making you stand out. Even Grimm looked more in-place than you. The vibrant glow of your eyes made people stare at you, but you just ignored them. You walked with Grimm down the halls, holding his hand as you went. 

"I never mentioned it, but I love the new way you look, (y/n)," Grimm said. 

"Oh, thank you," you replied, smiling. "It was just the outfit the Nightmare Heart thought I looked best in, I guess." 

"Well the Nightmare Heart clearly doesn't like the white of the palace robes either," he said, looking down at the cloak he was wearing. He had a look of repulsion on his face which made you laugh. 

"We should find the Queen," you said. "She'd be our best bet to be able to talk with the King." 

"Agreed," Grimm said. 

You two walked into the indoor gardens, and to no one's surprise, that is where the Queen was. She didn't look up from her plants when she said, "Hello, (y/n). Hello Grimm. What brings you here?" 

"We need to speak with the King. (y/n) has learned how to travel between realms," Grimm said. 

This caused her to look up and stare at you, examining your figure. "His power is much more prevalent now than it was last night. I'll go fetch the King," she said, standing before walking out. 

Once she was out of earshot, Grimm asked, "What did she mean by that?" 

"I'm not sure," you admitted. "Maybe she can just sense how much power someone has," you guessed. "Maybe she can see the Nightmare Flame the way you and the troupe can?" 

"I don't know..." Grimm said, his voice had skepticism within it. He looked on edge. 

"I doubt she had bad intentions when saying that, Grimm," you said, trying to ease him. "She was just making an observation." 

"I guess you're right..." he said. 

After some time, the King and Queen both returned to the gardens. As the King walked in, he said, "I hear you have some good news, (y/n)." 

"Indeed, your majesty," you said, bowing as he entered fully. "I was visited by the Nightmare King last night, and I have learned how to travel between realms." 

"That's fabulous news," he said, clasping his hands together. "How do you do it?" 

His question was simple but hard to answer. "Well, at least how I was taught, you have to focus on your greatest dreams and aspirations. Focus on who you want to be, not who others want you to be. Focus on the most positive aspects of your life," you said, quoting the Nightmare King. 

The Pale King did as you instructed, closing his eyes. He focused for quite some time, but to no avail. "Why is it not working?" He asked, impatient. 

"Well, this is something that takes incredible power, your majesty. Without a Dream Nail, it takes pure concentration," you said. 

"Without a what?" He asked, confused. 

"A Dream Nail. The Nightmare King brought it up and said it was a tool that could be used to transport anybody to the Dream Realm," you explained. 

"Hmm..." the King hummed to himself. "Then we need to find one of those," he said finally. "Do you know where we could find one?" 

"Unfortunately, he didn't specify that, your majesty. My apologies," you said. 

"Well, we'll have to search. Clearly (y/n) is lying about learning this," he said. 

"What? No he's not!" Grimm was quick to defend you. 

"Then prove yourself, (y/n). Travel to the Dream Realm and back," the Pale King said. 

"That would be foolish, your majesty. I understand why you'd think I'm lying, but know that I am not," you said, keeping your composure. 

The Pale King studied you for a long time. "The Radiance has taken my people from me. I need a way to travel to the Dream Realm and get back at her for it," he said, his voice suddenly shifting tone. It sounded tired, and a little bit depressed. 

"I'm sorry, your majesty. I wish there was more I could to do help," you said. You were originally going to tell the King that the Nightmare King had already employed you to kill the Radiance, but you decided against telling him that. 

"If there's nothing else you can do, then leave," the King's voice was short. "I'm sorry, but we don't have room for you here anymore." 

"Thank you, your majesty. If there is anything you need us for in the future, then just let us know," you said, bowing. Grimm bowed as well and you two walked out. 

~~~

"That went as expected," Grimm said. "The fool has no idea how much power it takes to travel to those realms. Even I get tired transporting the troupe's tents through the Nightmare Realm." 

"Grimm, I should tell you something," you said as you walked side by side down the hall. "I am the one who's going to kill the Radiance." 

"What?" He looked down at you in shock and confusion. 

"The Nightmare King said I was the one who would do it," you admitted. 

"That's suicide, (y/n)!" He exclaimed. "I can't let you do that." 

"I know, Grimm. I don't want to, but I know that I have to," you said, breaking eye contact. 

Grimm looked at you in silence. "I don't want to lose you, (y/n)." He finally said. 

"I don't want to lose you either, Grimm. I'm not looking forward to doing this, but I'm the only one who can." 

"How do you know that?" 

"Think about it. If the Nightmare King wanted to kill the Radiance so badly, then he would have already. There's something stopping him from being able to." 

"I just don't like that you're getting involved in this." 

"I know, Grimm. But I have to do this. I'm the only one who can." 

He sighed and said, "I know..."

You two stopped walking and turned to face each other in the hall. "I promise you I'll return safe from the fight. You can hold me to those words," you said, looking into Grimm's vibrant and worried eyes. 

"I will hold you to those words," he said, smiling and placing his hands on your shoulders. He then pulled you into an embrace. You wrapped your arms around him, and he placed a kiss on the top of your head. You smiled and looked into his eyes. He leaned down and pulled you into a proper kiss. At first, it took you by surprise, but you leaned into it, closing your eyes to enjoy it. You and Grimm finally separated. "Are we officially lovers, (y/n)?" Grimm asked as he pulled away. 

You smiled and responded with, "As long as you're okay with it, then so am I." 

Grimm smiled and said, "I love you so much, (y/n). You're exactly the person I needed in my life." 

"I love you too, Grimm," you smiled back. "This entire world is what I needed in my life, and I'm glad you were the person to take me in." 

You and Grimm held hands as you walked towards your room, ready to gather up your things to leave the palace. 


	20. Return From the Palace (Re-written)

Being back in the tents was a refreshing feeling. You felt like you were at home after a long vacation. When you first walked back into the tents, you felt everyone's eyes on you. You had changed since you were last there, your flame was probably incredibly large in their eyes. You still didn't know how to see other people's flames, but nevertheless, you just ignored their staring. The first thing Grimm did was change into a different cloak that wasn't the white one that the King gave him. You found it humorous how much Grimm despised the king. 

"So, when's our next show?" You asked Grimm after he finished changing. You were walking down the halls with him, not really going anywhere. 

"I'm not sure. I think it would be best to wait until after this whole thing with the Radiance blows over," Grimm admitted. 

"That's fair enough. I'm not sure when the Nightmare King wants me to fight her, though," you said. 

"He probably won't make it obvious when he wants the fight to happen. An opportunity will present itself," Grimm said. "(y/n), I've been meaning to make a suggestion." 

You stopped in the hallway to listen to him. 

"I can help you fight the Radiance, (y/n). You wouldn't have to do it alone," he said. His eyes were pleading with you, telling you that he wanted to fight her with you. 

"I would rather do it alone, Grimm," you said, much to his disappointment. "It's nothing against you. You're perfectly capable of fighting. I just don't want to lose you," you admitted. "Why would both of us go and potentially die when only one of us has to?" 

Grimm looked down at you and smiled, "We're more likely to succeed if we're both there." 

"I just... I don't want to drag you into this, Grimm. This isn't your fight, and that's okay." 

"You're not dragging me into any of this, and this is just as much my fight as it is yours."

You sighed and asked, "How is it your fight, Grimm?" 

"How is it your fight?" He responded with his own question. 

"Because, the Nightmare King chose me to fight," was your response. "He could've killed me like he did with the other humans, but he chose to keep me alive. And I think _this_ is why," you said, gesturing to your body and the trails of flames that were hovering around your body in circles. 

"(y/n), I just don't want you to go through with this alone," his voice laced with concern. 

You smiled and said, "I'm not gonna feel alone, Grimm. I need you to be here so that I know I have something to come back to." 

He placed his hands on your shoulders. "I can't just stand by, (y/n). It would pain me to know you're risking your life when I could be helping you in your cause." 

You put your hands on top of his and said, "I know, Grimm. You're such a great person, and I can't afford to lose you. I need you to stay here. Please," you said, pleading with your eyes. 

He saw the expression in your eyes and sighed, giving in. "Alright, fine. But you promise me that you'll return safely," he said. 

You smiled and said, "I promise, Grimm." 

He smiled back and placed a kiss on your forehead. 

~~~

You and Grimm were out and about in the capital city. You had gotten the layout of the city memorized after spending so much time there, but after spending time at the palace you had come to miss spending time in the city. You and Grimm were sitting in a cafe, the same one that you were in after you had encountered the infected bug. 

You were looking out the window, remembering the events that transpired right outside of it. 

"What're you thinking about?" Grimm asked. 

"I'm just remembering the infected bug I ran into," you admitted, continuing to look out the window. You took a sip of the tea you had ordered. 

"That was an intense moment," Grimm said. "I thought you'd gotten hurt." 

"I'm just thinking what would've happened if I had said yes to the Radiance's offer," you admitted. "Would I have just been infected, or would I become a vessel for the Radiance to exist in the physical world?" 

Grimm pondered your words. "I'm not sure. But, it's best not to dwell on such thoughts." 

You turned your head to make eye contact with Grimm and said, "You're right." 

"You know... there's somewhere I want to take you one day," Grimm said, his eyes lighting up. 

"Really? Where might that be?" You asked, intrigued. 

"There's this spot above the city called the Blue Lake. Apparantely it's where the rain in the city comes from," his eyes had childlike wonder in them. "I would love to take you to see it sometime." 

"That sounds wonderful, Grimm. I'm sure after the Radiance's infection is purged and the quarantine is lifted, we would be able to do that," you said, smiling at Grimm. 

"That sounds like a plan to me," he returned a smile. 

You two had both finished your drinks and when outside. Grimm had an umbrella, so you leaned in close to him to be underneath it as you walked. Grimm's body was warm, and it was a comforting feeling that you didn't want to let go of. You and Grimm were walking down the city streets, but you had no plan on where to go. You were just letting whatever caught your eye take over your attention. 

Whether that was clothing stores, tourist traps, or even some pawn shops, you and Grimm both enjoyed your time spent together. You were constantly making each other laugh. By the time you returned to the troupe, Divine was waiting for you two at the front of the tent. She had a long white stick in her mouth, the end of it was burning a bright red color. When she exhaled, a puff of smoke came out. 

"Hello, Divine. What are you doing out here so late?" Grimm asked as you two walked up to her. 

"I was going to ask the same thing to you," she said, smirking. 

"Divine, could you please put that away?" Grimm asked, looking at the long cigarette in her hand. "The smell of that thing is revolting." 

It smelled different than the tobacco cigarettes you were familiar with. It wasn't a bad smell, just different. 

"Yeah, yeah," Divine said, extinguising the end that was burning and then throwing it away. "So what have you two lovers been up to?" Her raspy voice had a joking manner behind it, and you knew she was teasing you.

The question immediately made Grimm's cheeks go red. You smiled at his embarrassment before saying, "We were just enjoying some time away from everything in the city." 

"Good for you. I think both of you needed some time away. Although the Grimmkin novices are getting pretty rambunctious," she said, gesturing towards the inside of the tent. 

Grimm groaned when he heard childish screaming coming from within the tent. "Why can they not behave when I'm gone? They shouldn't always need me to be around." 

You chuckled slightly and said, "They're children, Grimm. They're going to misbehave when they think they can get away with it," your voice was calm and caring. 

"Yeah..." Grimm said. 

Divine chirped in with, "Well you two better go get some sleep. Tomorrow is the big performance day." 

This caught both Grimm's and your attention. "What?" Grimm asked. 

"Did Brumm not tell you? He set up a performance for tomorrow while you two were at the White Palace," Divine said. 

This only made Grimm angier as he started to grumble. You sighed and grabbed Grimm's hand, immediately silencing him. "It's just a performance, Grimm. We'll be alright." 

He smiled down at you, his anger faded away completely. "You're right, (y/n)." 

You smiled and jokingly said, "Of course I am, now Divine is right. We need to get some sleep." 

"Goodnight, Divine. Thank you for informing us of Brumm's schedule change," Grimm said, waving to Divine as you both walked in. 

You followed Grimm into his room, talking the entire way down. You and Grimm walked in, he sat down on his bed and you sat down on the chair behind his desk. Grimm and you talked for a long time, not really keeping track of time. At some point, you had gone and sat down on the bed next to him. You leaned against his shoulder and looked into his eyes, "I love you, Grimm." 

He wrapped his arms around you and pulled you closer to his warm body, "I love you too, (y/n)." You stayed in his embrace for a while, being surrounded by the warmth of his arms and his cloak. 

You wanted to stay like this forever.


	21. The Unplanned Performance

Without realizing it, you had fallen asleep in Grimm's bed. He didn't seem to mind, though. You had woken up in the middle of the night and felt his chest pressed against your back as you laid on your side, he had pulled you close to him at some point during the night. He was asleep, and you could feel his breath pass over the top of your head. Smiling, you went back to sleep. 

~~~

You groggily opened your eyes, not knowing what time it was. 

"Good morning, (y/n). How did you sleep?" Grimm asked, seeing you awake. 

"I slept well. Yourself?" You responded with. 

"I slept wonderfully," Grimm said, smiling. 

You sat up in bed, "What time is the performance today?" You asked. 

"I'll ask Brumm, but I'm assuming it's late tonight," he said, sitting up as well. 

You rubbed your eyes and said, "I'll start practicing after breakfast." You got out of bed and so did Grimm. 

Before you left, Grimm stopped you by saying, "Hey, (y/n)." 

"Yeah?" You responded. 

"Thanks for staying with me last night," Grimm said, you noticed a slight blush in his cheeks. 

You smiled and said, "Of course, Grimm. I enjoyed last night." You waved goodbye as you went back to your room. 

You walked in and went over to the wardrobe. You removed the sleeveless robe you were wearing and replaced it for a bright red vest. You put on a black formal button-down underneath it and kept the black form-fitting pants on that you were already wearing. You decided to throw on a bright red bow-tie, matching the vest in color. You walked into the bathroom and looked into the mirror. You went to go fix your hair, but the vibrant red your eyes now were startled you. You had forgotten about the change in eye color, and it made you think, _'If I ever return home, what would people think of how I looked now?'_

You began to grow concerned, thinking of what Hanna would say upon seeing the color of your eyes, and the flames circling your body. The flames had died down in intensity, only circling by your legs, but they were still visible nonetheless. You focused on returning the flames surrounding you into your body, trying to get them to disappear. You saw them slowly make their way into your chest, disappearing. 

You were saddened by the fact that your appearance wouldn't ever be normal again, but you pushed that thought out of your head as you made your way to the dining hall. You walked in and caught all of the Grimmkin's eyes. They looked almost as if they were scared of you, which made you worry. You didn't want them to fear you just because of the Nightmare Heart's power within you. 

You sat down next to Grimm as he said, "You look nice today, (y/n)." 

You smiled and said, "You do as well." You weren't lying, Grimm did look incredibly eye-catching. He was wearing a bright red button-down shirt, black formal pants, a white vest over his shirt, and he had a short, black cloak draped over his shoulders.

A bowl of fruit was placed in front of you, and you said your thanks to the Grimmkin who served it before beginning to eat. You and Grimm were mostly silent as you ate, but Grimm saw the discomfort on your face and saw that the Grimmkin were giving you quick, frightened glances. Grimm was about to stand up to tell them off for it, but you put your hand on his arm to stop him. 

"It's fine, Grimm. They're just nervous, and I understand why," you said patiently. 

"They shouldn't be nervous. They have no reason to fear you," Grimm said. 

"Well, think about it from their perspective," you said. "I go away for a couple of days, and they have no idea why we left. All they know is that when we returned, I'm suddenly as powerful as the Nightmare King. From their perspective, it's reasonable that they'd be nervous." 

Grimm sighed and said, "I guess you're correct. I just don't want you to be uncomfortable," he took your hand into his. 

"I'm not uncomfortable, Grimm. You're very good at making me feel like I have a home here for the past month or so I've been here," you said. 

"Just let me know if it starts to bother you and I can tell them off for it, okay?" He asked. 

You chuckled slightly, "Fine, I'll let you know." 

Grimm placed a kiss on your forehead as he stood up to leave. You were finished with your breakfast as well, and you grabbed yours and Grimm's empty dished and took them to the kitchen. You set them in the sink where you knew they'd be cleaned and left to go and practice for the unexpected concert. 

~~~

You were struggling to come up with anything, so you decided you would just play a classical piece you already knew. You settled for _La Campanella,_ a piece that your piano instructor had drilled into your head, so you knew it by memory. You practiced for a few hours, and at the end of the practice session, you felt more confident in your ability to play. It was an incredibly difficult piece, but you were able to play it from memory almost perfectly. 

You heard the door open and looked up to see Grimm. "Hey you," you said as he came in. 

"Hey, (y/n). How's practicing going?" Grimm asked. 

"It's going well, thanks for asking," you said, "I was struggling to come up with something, so I've instead decided to just play a piece that was written by someone else." 

"Who wrote it?" Grimm asked, curious. 

"A composer named Franz Liszt," you said. 

"Did you know him all that well?" Grimm asked. 

You chuckled slightly at his question, "He died several hundred years before I was born. He was a famous composer and his music is considered classical nowadays." 

"Oh..." Grimm said. 

"Would you like to hear the piece?" You asked. 

"I think I'll wait until the performance to hear it," Grimm said, smiling. "I know you'll do great." 

~~~

You were backstage, watching the novice Grimmkin play with fire on the stage for the audience. You hadn't changed your outfit much, only putting a black cloak on over the rest of your clothes. As you watched the novice Grimmkin, Divine came up next to you and watched from the sidelines as well. 

"You could impress everybody with your newfound power, (y/n)," her raspy voice suggested. "You could make flames bigger than even the master Grimmkin could ever dream of." 

You chuckled nervously and said, "I think I'll just stick to playing piano, but thanks." 

"Suit yourself," she said, slithering away. 

You watched as the dancers went on stage with Brumm. Their moves perfectly corresponded to Brumm's melody, and the fire trailing behind the dancers' hands made it all the more entrancing to watch. As they finished their dance, you congratulated them when they walked off. You went to go sit behind your piano, much like the previous concerts you had done. You heard the Grimmkin masters on stage, wowing the audience with their expertise of the Nightmare Flame. 

You were up next, and you knew their act was over when you heard Grimm's voice boom on stage. "Up next we have a special treat for you tonight. You may know what I'm talking about, but I assure you, this act is much better than any of the rumors you may have heard. Tonight we have someone who has time and time again has beaten the odds, coming out on top of every challenge thrown his way. Someone more powerful than anybody I know!" His voice was increasing in volume as he spoke. "May I present: (y/n)! The Human Pianist!" 

The curtains in front of you were pulled back, exposing you to the crowd. It was unsurprisingly small, and you recognized some people from the last performance. You did see Lemm in the audience, which made you want to smile. You began to play the song, hitting each note with little to no error. You had noticed that when you began to play, the flames that circled your body were visible once more, and incredibly bright. You also saw a bright red glow on the white keys wherever you looked, and you noticed your eyes' color was incredibly bright in the reflection of the shiny wood on the piano. You didn't stop because of this, and kept going through the piece like normal. 

The flames around you along with your playing were wowing the audience, which you tried hard to hide a smile. You enjoyed being on stage, even if you said you didn't. You played through the entire piece, finishing with a powerful chord before standing up. You bowed as the audience cheered and clapped. You sat back down, ready to score Grimm's fight. 

Grimm walked up and spoke to you so that only you could hear, "The other Grimmkin isn't showing up. Would you be able to take his place in the fight?" 

You were surprised by the sudden change of plans, but said, "Yeah... I guess, but stop me if I accidentally hurt you. I'll make the flames unharming, but I still don't want to take any chances." 

"Don't worry. I'll pretend like I'm hurt, but know that I won't be," he said. "Don't hold back on the theatrics," he added with a smile. 

You followed Grimm onto the main part of the stage as he began his monologue. 

"I've told you that (y/n) is one of our most powerful here," he began, his voice booming. "But tonight, we're going to prove that." 

You saw the two Grimmkin who were manning the spotlights, they were confused but went along with the change of plans. The overhead lights cut and the spotlights were turned on, cueing you to begin. Grimm launched the first attack, sending three bats made of flame in your direction. You dodged them effortlessly and waited for the next attack. Grimm lunged at you and then launched himself into the air, raining fireballs down at you. You were able to dodge those as well. Grimm was incredibly fast, something you hadn't noticed before. You struggled to keep up with is speed, but excelled in dodging his attacks. You decided to launch an attack of your own, forming a sword made of fire then sending it towards Grimm. You knew it wasn't going to hurt him when it landed, but he acted as if it did. You were concerned at first, but his wink told you he was okay. 

You were continuing to dodge Grimm's attacks expertly. You didn't know where this unexpected speed was coming from, but you weren't going to complain about it. You launched another attack, snapping your fingers. When you did so, a large pillar of fire that reached from the floor to the ceiling appeared and went towards Grimm. He tried to get out of the way but the pillar followed him until it faded away when you called the flames back into your body. 

The fight continued this way for a few minutes, you dodging Grimm's small attacks and occasionally sending a large attack towards him. Grimm and was standing the center of the stage, firing more bats of flame at you. You decided to catch him by surprise and teleport behind him. Once you had done so you put your hand out, palm facing forward, and summoned your own bats of fire, mimicking his attack. They landed a hit on his back, knocking him to the ground. When he tried to get back up, you stood over him, your hands behind your back, and summoned a sword of fire, hovering it over his head. 

He smirked and admitted defeat, holding his hands up in surrender. You immediately made the sword disappear and helped him onto his feet. "Are you okay?" You were quick to ask. 

"I'm quite alright, (y/n)," he said with a smile, before turning to the audience. "(y/n) everyone!" His voice boomed, and the audience was roaring after your performance. 

"Thank you all for coming tonight, we appreciate your being here!" Grimm said to the audience. "We hope to see you here again. Goodnight!" He quickly grabbed your hand and you saw a pillar of fire appear around you and Grimm. All at once, you were backstage once more. 

"You did so well, (y/n)!" Grimm said, his voice cheery as he pulled you into a quick hug. 

"Thank you, Grimm. You did well yourself," you said. "I must say, you're incredibly fast. I was struggling to keep up." 

"I didn't know you could teleport, (y/n). You never told me," he said, "That move was unexpected, but it was good." 

You smiled and said, "'Always expect the unexpected' is what my mother would say. She was always one for prophetic quotes like that." 

"Your mother sounds like a person I would get along with well," Grimm said.

"Yeah, you two would definitely get along," you said. You thought about your mother. It didn't make you sad you couldn't see her, but made you happy that you could remember her so vividly. 

"You must miss her," Grimm said, adding some sadness to his voice. 

"I do, but she'll be able to move on without me," you concluded, noticing Grimm's worried eyes. 

"(y/n), I know you want to go home, you don't have to try and hide it." 

You sighed and said, "I do want to go home, but I want to stay here more. I want to stay with you." 

Your comment made Grimm blush slightly. "I love you, (y/n)." He pulled you into his arms. 

"I love you too, Grimm," you said, wrapping your arms around him. 

You stayed like that with him for a while before Grimm said, "It's getting late." He pulled away. 

"Yeah, it is," you said. 

"Hey, (y/n)?" Grimm asked. 

"Yeah?" You looked into his eyes. 

"Stay with me tonight?" He asked. "You don't have to if you don't want to." 

You smiled and said, "You're lucky I want to." 

"Really?" Grimm asked, surprised. 

"Really," you confirmed. 

He grabbed your hand and you walked down the hall with him, and into his room. He let you use his bathroom to get changed and when you came out you saw he had changed as well. You had sat down on the bed as you and Grimm talked. Eventually, Grimm had fallen asleep next to you. You eventually fell asleep as well, but before you did you felt Grimm's chest against your back. He had pulled you close to him, and you smiled before falling asleep. 


	22. True Colors

Your vision was replaced with a scarlet haze and all at once you were in your dorm room in the Nightmare Realm. 

"Hello, (y/n)." You heard the Nightmare King's voice. 

You sat up in the bed you were laying in, meeting the Nightmare King's eyes. "Hey," you said, rubbing your eyes. 

"This is important," the Nightmare King said. "After tonight I will no longer visit you in your dreams." 

"Okay..." you were slightly weirded out by the way he was speaking. "What's so important?" 

"It's about the ritual, (y/n). I don't think either Grimm or I have told you about it," he said. 

"No, it doesn't sound familiar." 

"Well, you already know of the events that transpired ages ago, with the two tribes. Well, after the moth tribe attacked us, we were forced to flee into the Nightmare Realm. As you can probably gather, this isn't exactly the most liveable place. For a long time, we struggled to survive here, until we found the Nightmare Heart. The Nightmare Heart is the very center of this realm, but it's held in bondage. 

"The Radiance's very existence is causing the Nightmare Heart to be weakened. Her overwhelming power of Dream is putting the Heart in chains, limiting its power greatly. This was why I thought I was the only one who could access the Heart's true gift. I believe it only had enough power to give it to me, but you've proven me wrong. I believe that killing the Radiance is a good start to breaking the bonds that hold the Heart captive, allowing it enough room to break the rest of the bonds on its own. But there's something else, something new." 

"What's that?" 

"The Radiance has taken control of the Hollow Knight. He is her vessel now, the void within being overtaken entirely by the light. She'll have access to the mortal world." 

You were suddenly incredibly nervous. "How do you know all of this?"

"I keep a close eye on her, she keeps a close eye on me." 

You pondered his words. "You said this was about the ritual?" 

"Yes, unfortunately so. The ritual might be our way of giving the Nightmare Heart an extra boost of power." 

"What is the ritual?"

The Nightmare King sighed before explaining, "The ritual is something our troupe has partaken in for quite some time. It started here, in the Nightmare Realm. The ritual goes as such: the current Grimm who is alive will give life to a child, whether through reproduction or other means, then that child is fed flames of Nightmare. After that, the child will grow. Once the child has reached its adolescence, the father is then killed. His power is given to the Nightmare Heart, and the child takes his place as Grimm." 

Your eyes were widened at this. "Grimm has to... die?" 

"Unfortunately so. I'm sorry." 

"But what will this accomplish? You said this would give the Heart an extra boost of power, but for what?" 

"To aid you in combat. To give you the advantage." 

Your head was spinning, thoughts running in and out. "I don't want Grimm to die..." 

The Nightmare King sighed once more. "I know, (y/n). This is a hard sacrifice to make, but I believe its tradeoff would help tremendously." 

"And what if it doesn't?" You asked interrogatively.

"This is something that we should do, (y/n). I'm sure Grimm would agree." He dodged the question.

"What if it doesn't? What if he dies for no reason?" Your voice was increasing in volume. 

The Nightmare King was silent. 

Tears formed at the edges of your eyes. "I won't go through with this, not without being certain we would win because of it." 

"(y/n)..." he started.

You cut him off, "When should the Radiance break out of the Hollow Knight's prison?" 

He was surprised by your question. 

"When do you estimate that will happen?" You asked with more urgency. 

"Worst case scenario, in a few days. But it could take her weeks, and once she does, you'll know." 

"Then we find another way to give the Heart this boost of power it needs in the meantime," you said, your voice final and definite. 

"That's not possible, (y/n). Please, I know it's hard to accept, but Grimm has to die for this to work." 

Your tears were beginning to stream down your face. 

"No! We'll find another way." 

"There is no other way! I've tried!" His voice was at a yell and he had tears of his own. 

You were taken aback by his sudden emotion. "What?" you whispered. 

"Long ago, I tried to find any other way to give the Nightmare Heart a boost in power. I didn't want my son to die, just to feed the heart..." he paused, holding back tears. "I didn't want to give it my child. He was just learning how to walk... when it claimed him from me." A silent stream of tears traveled down his cheek, a single drop hitting the floor. 

"I... I'm sorry." 

The Nightmare King stood up and cast a strange spell. A vibrant, red dome was created around you two and the Nightmare King let out a sigh. "The Heart gets fed up with not being answered, (y/n). It takes what it wants, just to feed itself. It can't hear us talking anymore, not with this spell up. I know what you're going through, (y/n). Losing a loved one to the Heart is painful. It's a greedy monster that I've been trying to sever myself from for centuries. It took my power from me a long time ago, that power is now running through both of us, although it's now heightened by the Heart." 

You were shocked by his words. 

"Grimm doesn't have to die. I was just telling the Heart what it wanted to hear."

Your eyes lit up at this.

"We just have to cut ties with the Heart and claim our power back from it. To do that, the Radiance must die, which was already planned. But, it planned to take Grimm after he had a child." 

"How do we claim our power back?" You asked. 

"I'm not entirely sure. But for now, keep on the watch for any signs of the Radiance." He removed the dome around you, and you now felt nervous, knowing the Nightmare Heart was listening to you. 

"O-okay. I will," you said. 

"Once she shows herself to you, show her no mercy." 

"I will." 

"That is all for now, good luck, (y/n)."

~~~

He snapped you awake, and you felt a hand on your shoulder. 

"(y/n)? Are you okay? You were crying in your sleep." Grimm's concerned voice faded into your hearing. 

You slowly sat up and rubbed your face. "Yeah.. yeah I'm ok." 

"What happened? Was it the Nightmare King?" Grimm asked. 

"Yeah, but he didn't hurt me. He instead warned me." 

"Warned you of what?" His concern never left his voice. 

"The Radiance is in the physical world..."


	23. Outside the City

"What?" Grimm's voice was immediately concerned. "She's in Hallownest right now?" 

"Yes. She's taken over the Hollow Knight's body and is using them," you explained. Your head still hurt after coming back from the Nightmare Realm. "She's currently stuck in the Black Egg, but that won't hold her for super long."

Grimm's eyes were wide as he processed this information. "(y/n), are you sure you can do this on your own?" 

You placed your face in your hands and said, "Honestly... I'm not sure I can do this at all." You hated saying it out loud, but you knew it was true. 

"Don't say that, (y/n)," Grimm put his hands on your shoulders. "Of course you can do this. If our fight on stage was anything to go by, then the Radiance doesn't stand a chance." 

You looked up and saw his warm smile. "Thanks, Grimm." You smiled in return. 

~~~

You and Grimm were helping the Grimmkin tear down from last night's show. There wasn't much that needed to be done, but you wanted something to do to help take your mind off of the Radiance. You were helping some Grimmkin Masters put the last of the props in their boxes when Grimm came up to you. 

"Should we inform the Pale King of the Radiance being in Hallownest?" Grimm asked. 

You turned around to face him and said, "Maybe, although how do you suppose we go about doing that?" 

"We could go to the palace to tell him directly," he suggested. 

"He wouldn't believe us even if we did. He believed I was lying about traveling to the Nightmare Realm, what reason would he have to think we're telling the truth if we did that?" You asked. 

Grimm thought about your words. "Fair point." 

"He'll find out soon enough. Even though he wants to get his revenge at the Radiance for infecting his people, he's not the one who's going to kill her," your voice was tired. 

"He's incredibly arrogant for someone who's supposed to lead a kingdom," Grimm said. 

"Well, there's not much we can do about that."

"I suppose you're right." 

There was a long silence between you two as you continued helping put things away. The silence was then broken by Grimm asking, "Do you want to go into the city later today?" 

"I'd love to," you said quickly. "I need something to take my mind off of the Radiance." 

"I'll meet you outside after lunch?" He asked. 

"That sounds lovely," you said with a smile. 

~~~

You were in your room deciding what to wear. You knew that Grimm wouldn't care what you wore, but you wanted to look nice anyways. You decided to wear the outfit that the Nightmare Heart had given you, but you turned the robe inside out so that way the red was facing outwards and the black was facing inwards. As you made your way outside, you noticed the rain was falling a lot softer than usual, almost to the point where you couldn't feel it. 

"I've never seen the rain this soft before," you said as you walked up to Grimm. 

"Me neither," he said, looking upwards at the rocky ceiling. "I wonder what's causing it." 

"Me too." 

Grimm shited his gaze to meet your eyes, "So, where do we want to go first?" 

You thought for a moment before saying, "You pick. I want to see what you enjoy doing." 

"Are you sure? Because I..."

You cut him off, "I'm positive." 

He grabbed your hand as he opened his umbrella, "There's one spot that I really want to show you, but we'd have to sneak out of the city. Are you ok with doing that?" 

You smiled as you looked up at him, "Sounds like fun. Let's do it." 

Grimm led you down the city's main walkway, a place that was familiar to you, until he suddenly turned down an alley that you had never seed before. You were enjoying your adventure with Grimm so far as he led you further into areas you had never seen. 

"I discovered this when I was exploring on my own," he explained as he continued leading you through the city. You two came across a large stone door and you wondered how you were going to get on the other side of it. Grimm grabbed your hand and a pillar of fire appeared around you. Once the fire disappated, you were on the other side of the door. 

"Come on, this way," Grimm said, leading you away from the door. As you walked out into the open, you saw mushrooms lining the walls. You stepped across a metal bridge and underneath it there was bright, fluorescent cyan water underneath it. Your eyes darted around with wonder, the area you were in was incredible. Grimm smiled as he saw the wonder on your face. There was a sickly sweet smell as you continued across the metallic bridge. 

"What is this place?" You asked, still looking around at your environment. 

"This is the Fungal Wastes. There are many things to see here, but it's not what I wanted to show you," Grimm explained. "We'll have to go to the Queen's station." 

"The Queen's station? Where is that?" You asked, curious. 

"It's just passed the Mantis Village, follow me," Grimm said. 

As you two walked, you realized this was your first time outside the capital city except for going to the White Palace. "How big is this kingdom?" You asked Grimm. 

"It's one of the largest I know," he said, "There are other kingdoms, but none of them come close to this one in its majesty." 

As he led you through the Wastes, you came across a large village. "This is the Mantis Village I was talking about. Keep your head down, they aren't very friendly with outsiders." 

His warning made you nervous, but you followed his instructions. 

"What purpose do you have of being here?" There was a gruff male voice coming from behind you. 

You and Grimm turned around to find a tall mantis warrior standing behind you. 

Grimm cleared his throat and said, "We're just passing through, sir. We'll be out of here before you know it." 

"Do you come from the city? Is the lockdown lifted?" He asked. He had a strange accent that was hard for you to understand at times. 

"No sir, we are not from the city," Grimm lied. His voice didn't sound incredibly convincing, and the mantis warrior picked up on this. 

"Are you lying to me?" He asked, getting into a fighting stance. 

You chimed in with, "No sir, we're not from the city. He's telling the truth, he just doesn't do well on the spot. Please forgive him." Your voice was much more convincing than Grimm's, causing the mantis warrior to be at ease. 

"Where are you from then?" His question made you nervous. 

Grimm quickly said, "Dirtmouth, sir. We're from Dirtmouth, we just came here to get supplies from the city, we nad no idea it was under lockdown." His voice was more convincing than it was previously. 

The warrior studied you two for a long minute until he eventually said, "You may pass through, but do so quickly." 

You bowed slightly and said quickly, "Yes, sir." Grimm followed suit. 

"Go on, then," he said. 

You took no time in following his advice, turning around and walking with Grimm quickly. Once you were out of earshot of the warrior Grimm said, "I told you to keep your head down." 

"Well, if I hadn't spoken up we would've been killed," you said. "You really need to get better at lying," you added with a smirk. 

Grimm chuckled slightly before saying, "Just don't do that again, please." 

"You got it," you said. 

As you and Grimm kept continuing through the village, you were attracting looks from many different mantises. You quickly noticed how your clothing juxtaposed that of the mantises. You were wearing black and red, while they were wearing blue and white. You and Grimm finally made your way through the village and to the Queen's station. 

"What is this place?" You asked Grimm as you entered the Queen's station. 

"It's a stagway station," Grimm said like it was obvious. 

"A what?" 

Grimm sighed and chuckled a little before saying, "It's how people here travel from place to place. You get on a stag and it takes you through the tunnels between stations." 

You thought about it for a second before saying, "Oh, like a subway." 

"A what?" Grimm asked this time. 

"A subway is pretty much just this, it's a train that runs underneath the ground and takes people from place to place," you explained. 

"Hm," Grimm hummed. "Maybe our societies aren't entirely different after all." 

"Maybe." 

Grimm then went to a bell and rang it a couple of times. You were immediately frightened when you heard large footsteps thundering down the tunnel. You didn't see what they belonged to until it ran into the station at high speed, startling you immensely. 

"What is that?" You asked, frightened. 

Grimm laughed before saying, "This is a stag. Come on," he said, motioning you to follow him. He lept up and effortlessly mounted the stag, and you just looked in awe at it. 

"How am I supposed to get on?" You asked, looking for anything to stand on. 

"Just do it the way I did," Grimm said simply. 

"I'm not an acrobatic person," you said. You attempted to follow Grimm's movements, only to fall and land on your back. 

Grimm laughed and said, "Here, take my hand." He held his hand out to help you up. 

You took it and he pulled you up onto the stag. When you sat down, you fixed your hair and looked at Grimm. "Yeah I could've totally done that if I had tried it again," you said in a joking manner. 

Grimm laughed before telling the stag, "To the Crossroads, please." 

The stag grunted and began to run incredibly fast. The ride was bumpy and frightening. As the stag turned a corner, you let out a small scream after almost falling out. Grimm grabbed you and pulled you close, holding you against tight him so you didn't go anywhere.

As the stag slowed to a stop, you were incredibly quick to get off of the stag. Your quick breathing slowed as Grimm hopped off, thanking the stag as it ran away. 

"Have fun?" Grimm asked in a joking manner, smiling. 

"You know, not particularly," you joked back. 

"C'mon, let's go," Grimm said, holding his hand for you to take. You took it an let him lead you into the Crossroads. 

"Where are we going?" You asked. 

"We're going to a the Blue Lake," Grimm said. "I heard it's lovely this time of year." 

You let Grimm lead you through the Crossroads. You followed him closely, making sure you didn't get lost. As he led you up a staircase, there was a faint sweet smell that you noticed. Once you made your way into an open area, you saw an incredibly large body of water that was bright blue in color. 

"Woah..." you said, your eyes filled with wonder as you looked at the water in front of you. 

"This is where the rain in the capital city comes from," Grimm explained. "I've always wanted to see it." 

"It's incredibly pretty," you said, staring out at the water. 

Grimm sat down at the edge of the water and stared into the distance. You sat down next to him, leaning your head against his shoulder. 

"Thank you for bringing me here, Grimm," you said. "This place is wonderful." 

He put an arm around your shoulder and placed a small kiss on your head before saying, "I love you, (y/n)."

"I love you too, Grimm," you said. You and Grimm stared into the distance, enjoying each other's company. 


	24. Beginning Of The End

Your moment of peace with Grimm was short-lived. You felt a large tremble from underneath your feet and you were immediately concerned. 

"What was that?" Grimm asked, worried. 

"I don't know," you said, just as confused as him. "It felt like it came from the city below." 

Grimm's eyes widened. "The troupe." 

Without hesitation, you grabbed Grimm by the arm and focused a flame down into the city. Wasting no time, you were quick to travel to that flame with Grimm and see what had happened for yourself. Your eyes had widened and you were left in shock at what you saw. The tent had exploded, debris was piled everywhere. Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a flash of light. When you looked over to where the light had come from, there was no one to be seen. 

"No..." Grimm said, tears were forming in the corners of his eyes. 

"Oh my god," you said. The damage looked severe. 

You made your way into the tent and almost threw up. What was left of the walls was stained with blood and fire, and there were bodies everywhere. The smell of death was almost too much as you made your way into the common area. There were Grimmkin everywhere, some dead, some alive, some mutilated. You wasted no time in rushing over to the nearest Grimmkin that you could see was alive. 

"What happened?" You asked, removing the Grimmkin's mask and revealing their face. The bug in front of you was a butterfly with long, brown hair. 

"There w-was an e-explosion... C-Came out of nowhere..." her voice was labored and painful. 

"Are you hurt?" You asked, concerned. Grimm was taking care of another Grimmkin, asking the same questions you were. 

"I-I can't feel my left arm..."

You looked over to her left arm to inspect the damages, and saw there was no arm anymore. Running out of ideas, you tried to calm her by saying, "You're gonna be okay. I'll help you." 

You stood up and met with Grimm. 

"Those who aren't dead can still be saved, they just need proper medical attention."

"How can we get proper medical attention?" 

"We'll have to keep the ones we can alive until help comes," you said, quickly running to the dining hall. 

"Where are you going?" Grimm asked, calling out to you. 

"Just wait there!" You called back. 

You burst into the kitchen and grabbed a bottle of wine and a rag, before running back to the common area. 

"Why do you have those?" Grimm asked. 

"The wine is to disinfect any wounds, the rag is for tying them up." You explained. You rushed over to the butterfly you had talked to and knelt next to her. "What's your name?" You asked. 

"M-Meloni, my name is Meloni," She said. 

"Alright Meloni, I'm gonna help you, okay?" You asked. 

She nodded. 

"This is gonna hurt like a motherfucker, are you ready?" You asked. 

She took a deep breath in, and then nodded. 

You popped the wine open and began to pour it on the wound. You were met with her screams of pain, and you were quick to stop pouring once the wound was fully covered in wine. You then took the rag and tied it around the stub of where her arm used to be.

"This won't be a permanent solution, but it'll have to do for now. Are you okay?" You asked. 

She forced a smile and said, "Never better. Thank you."

You smiled back before helping her stand up. 

"Wait outside the tent for us, if you see anything at all, come back and report it to us," Grimm said. 

"Yes, master," she responded. She bowed and then ran off.

"I'm impressed (y/n), I didn't know you knew how to do that," Grimm said. 

"Thanks but not now, there are other survivors." 

"Right, I'll go look for more in the private quarters, you stay here and help anyone who's still alive." 

You nodded and Grimm ran off with impressive speed towards the Grimmkin's private quarters. 

"Hello? Is anyone still alive in here?" You called out. All you received in response was a cough from the corner of the room. 

"I am," you heard a masculine voice and rushed over to the source. The bug in front of you looked badly injured, but they still had all their limbs. 

"What's your name?" You asked while inspecting their carapace. 

"Nikko." 

You looked over to his mask that was on the ground and saw he was a Grimmkin Master. 

"Well, Nikko. Can you walk?" You asked him. 

"I-I think so," he said. He managed to lift his torso off the ground and eventually, came to a full stand. You helped him balance as you led him out to where Meloni was. 

"Stay here, we'll come back with any other survivors we can find," you said. They both nodded and you ran back inside. 

You found Grimm and asked, "Any others?"

"Yes, but I'll need help getting them outside," his voice was desperate. 

You rushed into the private quarters and saw a group of people huddled together. They were scared. 

"Alright, I'll make this quick," you said. You began moving your hands in a circular motion, and a cloud of black smoke began to rise from the floor. It circled them until they couldn't be seen anymore. You stopped moving your hands, and the smoke cleared, revealing they were gone. 

"I used the Nightmare Realm to move them outside," you said. 

"Smart," Grimm admitted. 

You suddenly gasped at a realization you made. "Where are Divine and Brumm?"

~~~

After hours of searching the tent, you could only find another ten or so survivors. Grimm was distraught, saddened by the loss of his troupe, but mostly saddened by the disappearance of Divine and Brumm.

He sat down in the dining hall, in the chair he used to eat in. "It's all gone," he said, his voice was sad. He slammed his fist on the table. 

"She's going to pay for this, Grimm. I'll make sure of it," you said, putting a hand on his shoulder. 

His eyes narrowed and he looked up at you, "We'll make sure of it." His voice had determination and finality behind it. 

You sighed and said, "Grimm, no. You have to stay with what's left of your troupe. This is my fight, and mine alone."

"Why is it your fight? You don't have to fight alone, we'd make a good team together." He was getting desperate. "She took my troupe, so I want to take her life." 

"She did the same thing to the Pale King, and yet he's not going to fight her." 

"He doesn't know that we're going to fight her!" His voice was rising. 

"I'm going to fight her. You have to stay here and ensure the troupe's safety!" You raised your voice as well. 

"I can't just sit by and do nothing!" 

"I'm not asking you to do nothing!" 

"I can't lose you!" He screamed, slamming his fist on the table. "I have to go to ensure your safety, (y/n)." His voice was quiet as he said that. 

You had tears forming on the corners of your bright red eyes as you said, "You won't lose me, Grimm. I'll be fine, please believe me." 

He sighed and said, "I... I do believe you, (y/n)." 

"Thank you," you said, placing a hand on his cheek. You pulled his face in for a quick kiss before pulling back and said, "I'm going after her." 

"(y/n)..." Grimm said, worried. 

"I'm sorry, but the fight happens now," your voice showed how determined you were. "She's started a war today." 

"Then go and end the war, (y/n). I believe in you." 


	25. Balance

Your search for the Radiance wasn't easy. She made herself almost untrackable, but you were able to pick up on her dream energy and use it to follow her. You had to sneak out of the city, but you were able to take out the guards manning the gates stealthily. You shot out spikes of fire through their chest from behind, killing them quietly. You opened the gate and went through. 

You followed the energy into an area you had never seen before. There were jellyfish-looking bugs floating mid-air, and there was a pinkish color to the flora around you. You followed the Radiance's tracks into a large, brown building, a sign outside telling you that it was called the Teacher's Archives. 

As you walked in, you inspected the walls. You saw large tubes full of a weird, cyan colored water, and there were letters floating in the water. You ignored the tubes and continued on your search. You heard a slam come from the library and you quickly went to hide. You peered into the room and saw the Radiance inside the Hollow Knight's body. You could tell the Hollow Knight was originally an attractive bug, tall and slender with definite features. But now, they looked awful. They had glowing orange pustules coming out of their chest, and wings that were paper-thin and constantly twitching coming out of their back. Their eyes were glowing orange, and they walked as if they never knew how. Their nail scraped against the ground as they dragged it wherever they went. 

"It's gotta be here somewhere," you heard the Radiance's voice, but it didn't sound like it was coming from the Hollow Knight. "Look harder," she commanded. The Hollow Knight picked up their pace, and you began to understand their relationship. The Radiance didn't have direct control over the Hollow Knight's physical body, just their mind. "Why doesn't the so-called "teacher of Hallownest" have a book on the Nightmare Heart?" Her voice was angry and impatient. 

You examined the walls of the library, and an idea sprang into your mind. You grabbed a random book off of the shelf and then came out of your hiding spot. 

"Looking for this?" You asked, holding the book up, but making sure to cover the title. 

The Hollow Knight turned to face you and you heard the Radiance's voice say, "Moronic child, give me the book." 

"I am not a child, thank you very much. If you want it so bad, then come and grab it, bitch." You then immediately began to run. You sprinted out of the library faster than you knew you could. Hearing the Hollow Knight's footsteps, you knew that they weren't as fast as you. You turned a corner and pressed yourself against the wall. As you heard the Hollow Knight's footsteps draw close, you stuck your foot out into the hallway, tripping the Hollow Knight. 

They fell over and you quickly retrieved their nail, throwing it out of a window. 

"Rrgh. Why won't you just let me be in peace while I do my research?" The Radiance's voice boomed out of the Hollow Knight. 

"I'm not going to 'leave you in peace' after you killed over half of our troupe! We're doing this, whether you like it or not," you said, narrowing your eyes at the Radiance. 

The Radiance growled and commanded the Hollow Knight to stand up. "Okay," she said, her voice sinister, and you could hear she was smiling. "If we're doing this, then we'll do it my way." 

All at once you felt a tugging sensation on your chest and you knew what was happening. Your vision faded into pure white, and once you were able to see again, you were in the Dream Realm. 

"I don't care where we fight," you said, not letting the Radiance break your confidence. "I'm still going to win." 

The Radiance appeared as a large moth in front of you and said, "Ooh, such confidence. If only that was enough to bring your precious troupe back to life." 

You growled at her comment, growing more and more angry. "Watch it, bitch." 

You initiated the fight by throwing a spear of fire at her. She dodged it with ease and summoned several white nails, all of them launched in your direction. You stepped out of the way and summoned trails of fire on your fists. You then got close to the Radiance and began to throw punches, your fists still on fire. "You're not going to win!" You shouted at her. "Why did you even attack the Nightmare Tribe in the first place?" 

She spawned a bright yellow ball of light and sent it your direction. "Because the Nightmare King attacked us first! He was infecting my people's minds with his nightmares!" 

You dodged her ball of light and said, "He didn't put the nightmares in their head, he removed them so that you could put dreams there instead! He feeds off of nightmares! What he was doing wasn't harming anybody!" 

She fired a beam of light in your direction and you narrowly dodged it. "He caused an imbalance! If he had never interfered with my tribe then the world wouldn't be so chaotic! I'm doing what I am to the people of Hallownest not because they worship the Pale King! I don't care about him! I'm doing what I am because I'm trying to reset the balance between Nightmares and Dreams!" 

You used fire to propel yourself high into the air, and while you were midair you summoned balls of fire to launch at the Radiance. "The world isn't chaotic! Your judgement is clouded! If you really want to restore this balance than call of the infection! Let the innocent bugs live their normal lives!" You continued your barrage of fireballs. 

"My judgement is not clouded! You're just giving into what the Heart wants! I could free you from the Heart! I could free you from Hallownest, and send you back home!" She shouted, sending more white nails at you. 

"I'm not giving into anything! I'm fighting for what's right, and if you can't see that then you're not fit to be the Goddess of Dreams anymore!" You shouted, summoning ropes of fire and tying the Radiance down. She struggled against the ropes as you approached her. "I'm gonna regret trying this." 

"What are you doing?!" Her voice was rapid and urgent. 

"I'm going to take your godly powers from you. You've proven don't deserve them anymore," you said, looking her in the eyes. 

"Fool! You'll die trying!" She shouted at you. "No one conscience can carry both Dreams and Nightmares within them simultaneously!" 

"Well I'd rather die with your powers than let you keep them," you said with a calm voice. You closed your eyes and focused, placing your hand on her head. You began to feel her energy, and the rage that was piloting it. You focused on the energy of Dreams and pulled it into yourself. It began to become painful, and you started to scream. You didn't let up, though, and continued pulling her power out of her. A pillar of light appeared around you two and you felt the two contrasting powers within you begin to collide. It was incredibly painful, causing your scream to become louder. 

"(y/n)? (y/n), what are you doing?" You heard a faint voice and knew it belonged to the Nightmare King. "You'll die!" 

"No! I refuse to die today!" You were determined. 

"(y/n), no one bug can hold the two powers at once! Please, stop and just kill her!" He was desperate. 

"Well, you forgot one thing. I'm not a bug," you said. You then pulled a large chunk of power from the Radiance, causing her to scream in pain.

"No! Stop it! Please!" She began to beg. 

You opened your eyes and revealed that they were glowing blue instead of red. "You're reign of terror is over." You pulled the last bit of power out of her and she collapsed, transforming into a regular moth instead of the large moth she was. You felt incredibly powerful, and you looked in the reflection of a nail on the ground.

You had a bright yellow glow around you, and your eyes were shining a bright white. As you cooled down, and let the powers within you settle down and stop fighting, the glow both around you and in your eyes faded. You looked like a normal human. You weren't granted a new outfit with your new powers like you were with the Nightmare Heart, but the clothes you were wearing were fixed, any holes in them were gone. 

"What? How?" The Radiance was on the ground, perplexed. "How was I stripped of my godliness by a human?" 

You knelt down next to her and said, "You were getting out of hand. I could've just killed you, but you live to see another day." 

She had anger visible on her face. "You expect me to thank you?" 

"I expect you to understand. These bugs... this kingdom, their my people and this is my home just as much as Earth is." You said, placing a hand on her shoulder, to which she pulled away. 

"What are you going to do with me? Throw me in a prison cell?" She asked. 

"I'm not going to do anything," you said, standing up. "I'll leave that up to the Pale King." 

"What? No!" She exclaimed. "He'll torture me until the end of his days!" 

You looked her in the eyes and said, "Honestly, you deserve that. As much as I want you to just accept what you did is wrong, I know you never will. You're too abrasive for that," you said solemnly. 

She just sighed in response. 

"Let's go," you said, summoning handcuffs of light. "I'm gonna go and undo everything you did, and you're going to watch." 

~~~

Back in the physical world, you started with the Hollow Knight. You used your new powers to undo the damages done by the infection, returning them to their purest form. You noticed that the Nightmares and Dreams within you stopped fighting each other, and you knew you had restored the balance the Radiance was talking about.

"How do you feel?" You asked the Hollow Knight.

All they did in response was bow. 

"Can you walk?" 

They answered the question by standing up and walking over to you. 

"Alright, we have to go and fix her mistakes." You gestured over to the Radiance, and the Hollow Knight glared at her. "Now that she's been defeated, can you feel emotions?" You were curious. 

The Hollow Knight nodded, and found something to write on. They wrote, "Always have been. That's how she got better of me." 

"Ah, I see. Well, your father will be surprised to see you back at the palace." 

They wrote again, "I haven't seen him since he locked me in a cage with her. I don't know if I'm ready." 

"I spoke with the Pale King. He regrets everything he had to do to stop her," you put a hand on his chest. "I know he's a good guy, he just did what he thought he had to do. He just didn't realize how overcomplicated his plan was." 

The Pure Vessel nodded. 

"Alright, we've got work to do. While I undo the infection, keep an eye on her," you gestured over to the Radiance, and they nodded once more. 

"Alright, time to give this a whirl," you said, walking out into the open. You closed your eyes and focused. You called upon the power of Dreams to help you, and you used the power to free those infected. You removed the Radiance's influence on their minds. As you were doing so, you began to float mid-air, and the Pure Vessel and the Radiance marveled at you. You didn't know it, but your whole body was glowing and you were six feet off of the ground. You focused harder, and pulled the Radiance's infection out of the bugs of Hallownest. 

You took the infection and brought in front of you. It was a large, glowing, orange ball with small critters writhing around within. You opened your eyes and looked the infection dead on, and without hesitation, you summoned a white nail and shot it through the infection, completely purging it. 

"How did you destroy my infection so easily?" The Radiance asked, shocked. 

You gracefully floated down onto the ground and said, "Shouldn't have made it so easy to destroy." You turned to face the Pure Vessel. "You two go back to the palace. I'll meet you two there, I just need to go to the city to retrieve someone." 

The Pure Vessel nodded and grabbed the Radiance. 

"Make sure she doesn't get away." 

The Pure Vessel nodded. 

"Alright, meet you at the palace," you said before you began to summon a Nightmare Fire around yourself. As the fire disappated, you found yourself back in the city where the troupe's tent once was. 

You heard a voice from behind you, "(y/n)!" It was Grimm's voice. 

"Grimm!" You exclaimed, turning to face your lover. He wrapped his arms around you, his cloak enveloping you, and placed a kiss on your forehead. 

"You won!" He said with joy. "The Radiance is dead!" 

You smiled and said, "Oh no, she's not dead." 

He quickly pulled away from the hug and was immediately concerned. "What?" 

"I didn't kill her, I just took her Dream powers away from her," you explained. "She's just a moth now." 

Grimm was dumbfounded. "You have both Nightmares and Dreams within you? How?" 

You chuckled and said, "I guess it's because I'm not a bug." 

Grimm hugged you once more, "So you vanquished the infection?" 

"I did. I told the Hollow Knight that I'd meet them at the palace, come on," you said, ushering Grimm out of the remainders of the tent. 

Grimm quickly followed you out into the street after telling the troupe where to go for food and leaving them some geo. 

As you and Grimm walked, he looked down at you and smiled. "You did wonderfully, (y/n). I'm proud to be your lover." 

"You're a damn good boyfriend, Grimm. I wouldn't trade you for the world," you said, making him blush. 

~~~

"What business do you two have here?" A kingsmould asked as you approached the palace. 

"We have some news the King will want to hear," you said. 

"The King is busy! Leave at once." 

"Oh but doesn't he want to see his son?" You asked, pointing to the Pure Vessel who was just entering the Palace Grounds with the Radiance. 

The kingsmoulds were shocked. "How? What happened?" 

"Again, we have some news for the King," Grimm said. "Let us in." 

They silently stepped out of the way, letting you in the palace. 

~~~

As you four walked through the halls, you heard a voice come from behind you. 

"Is that?..." 

You turned to find a tearful White Lady behind you. "My child... I'm so sorry." 

The Pure Vessel walked up to her. 

"I understand if you're angry, and I understand that you must hate me..." 

The Pure Vessel cut her off by embracing her. They wrapped their arms around her, causing her tears to fall even harder. She was openly sobbing as she was hugging her child. 

"You're such a good person. Willing to love someone even when they don't deserve it," She smiled and cupped her child's cheek. "I raised you right."

You turned to Grimm and said, "We'll let them have their moment. C'mon, the king is probably in his workshop." You grabbed the Radiance by her handcuffs and dragged her along. 

"He's in the conference room," the White Lady called out. "Find him there." 

You turned, surprised. "Thank you, your highness. We'll inform him the infection is no more and the Radiance is going to be under his custody." 

"(y/n)," She said as you were about to walk away, causing you to stop moving and face her once more. "Thank you. For everything. You saved our people and brought our child back to us, things we thought not possible. We owe you." 

You bowed and said, "You don't owe me anything, your highness. It was as much my fight as it was yours." 

"Still, you managed to purge the infection without killing anybody. I'm impressed, (y/n), and I know the King will be too," She moved from the Pure Vessel and embraced you. Her arms were comforting, but the hug didn't last long. "Go. All of you. I'll wait in the gardens for you," she said, waving as you walked towards the conference room. 

You had no idea how the Pale King was going to react, but you confidently opened the door and walked into the conference room, ready for anything. 


	26. The End

"What are you doing here?" The Pale King asked as you entered the conference room. 

"We have some good news," you said. 

"What good news?" 

You gestured to the Pure Vessel who was holding the Radiance to come it. They entered and the Pale King stood up immediately. "Why have you brought my child here? They're the source of the infection!" 

The Pure Vessel stepped back. 

"Our good news is that there is no infection," Grimm said, narrowing his eyes at the Pale King. 

The Pale King was taken aback by Grimm's words. "What?" his voice was quiet. He stood up and approached the Pure Vessel. "Is this true?" 

The Pure Vessel nodded and pushed the Radiance forward. 

"This is the Radiance, stripped of her powers," you informed the Pale King. 

She growled as the Pale King looked her in the eye. 

"You did all of this?" The Pale King asked you. "You brought my child back? You purged the infection?" 

You simply nodded. 

"Thank you, (y/n). This will not go unappreciated," the Pale King said, bowing at you. "You hold both the powers of Dreams and Nightmares, (y/n). You're incredibly powerful, and I'm glad to have you as an ally of Hallownest." 

You bowed. "Thank you, your majesty." 

"Is there any way we can repay you? Anything at all, just name it," the Pale King said, sitting back down. 

You looked at Grimm and then back at the Pale King. "The Radiance destroyed our tents, we have no shelter. If you could find a way to get shelter for all of us, then that would be much appreciated your majesty." 

"How many of you are there?" 

"Only about 15. _She_ killed the rest of them," you said, glaring at the Radiance with anger. 

"Oh, trust me. She'll pay for what she's done," the Pale King said. "For now, we'll find you a hotel in the city and pay for your rooms until you can get yourself back on your feet. We'll also send a repair crew to try and fix any damages done.

You bowed and said, "Thank you very much, your majesty. This is much appreciated." 

"If you don't mind, your majesty," Grimm spoke up. "We should get back to our troupe, they always get rowdy without a leader." He stood. 

"Of course, I understand. I assume I'll be seeing you soon enough," the Pale King said. 

"Yes, your majesty. Thank you for everything," you said, standing and bowing. After doing the same, Grimm followed you out into the main hall of the palace. "Are you ready?" You asked Grimm. He nodded and grabbed your arm as you summoned a Nightmare Flame around you two. Once the fire dissipated, you were back in the city by the troupe. 

"You're better than me at that," Grimm said, smiling. "I'm proud of you, (y/n)." 

"Thanks Grimm," you said as Grimm pulled you in an embrace. You wrapped your arms around him as he pulled you close to him. "I love you," you said. 

"I love you too," he replied, bending down and kissing you softly. He pulled away and looked back at the troupe. "They're probably just as upset as I am, if not more so." 

"I know, Grimm. We'll do everything we can to rebuild the Grimm Troupe," you tried to comfort him. 

"They lost friends, family members, and people who were close to them, (y/n). Rebuilding won't revive the dead," he said forlornly. 

You embraced him quickly and said, "I'm sorry, Grimm. I could've stopped her from doing this had I gone after her sooner," you said. 

"Don't shift the blame onto yourself, (y/n). It was the Radiance's fault first and foremost, and she's going to pay for what she did," Grimm said. 

"I just feel like I should be doing more," you said. "Now that I have all of this power, is it my job to keep the balance in line? Will I be the one to make sure this world doesn't fall into chaos?" 

"I... I'm not sure, (y/n). That's a question for the Nightmare King," Grimm said honestly. 

"I'll go to the Nightmare Realm and ask him," you said. "In the meantime, the Grimm Troupe needs their troupe master." 

"Okay, I'll see you in a bit," Grimm said. "Be safe, (y/n)." 

You smiled and said, "I'll be okay, Grimm. The Nightmare King has warmed up to me." 

~~~

As Grimm walked off, you sat down on a bench and began to focus. You effortlessly traveled to the Nightmare Realm, and after a slight tugging sensation on your chest, you were in your dorm room in the Nightmare Realm. 

"(y/n)? You're still alive?" The Nightmare King said, surprised. 

"Better than ever," you said, sitting up in the bed you found yourself in. "We won." 

"I'm proud of you, (y/n). You beat the odds and did something no one has been able to do before." 

"Thank you, but I came to ask you something," you said. 

"What did you want to ask?" 

"Now that I have both powers, do I have to stay in Hallownest and maintain the balance of power? Do I have to act as the god of dreams now that the Radiance is gone?" 

The Nightmare King thought. "You're already keeping the balance, just by having the two powers within you. They're coexisting inside of one conscience instead of being seperate inside two. You weren't meant to be a god, but yet here we are. 

"(y/n), maybe you can use your powers to return back to your home. If the Radiance kept saying she could do so, then with her powers you might be able to travel between dimensions," The Nightmare finished speaking.

You were excited by the possibility that the Nightmare King just presented. "I could travel between home and Hallownest at will," You pondered out loud.

"You could. What I would recommend is for you to go home, try and live a normal life. I'll visit you when I need you to return."

"But... what about Grimm?" You were saddened by the fact that Grimm wouldn't be able to go with you. 

"There are sacrifices we all have to make, (y/n). He'll be here, waiting for you. Go back to Hallownest and let him know of this, discuss it with him." 

"Okay, I'll do that. Thank you, Nightmare King."

You began to focus and you felt a tugging sensation on your chest. "I'm positive our paths will cross again." 

As your vision faded, you said, "I look forward to it." 

~~~

"(y/n)?" You heard Grimm's faint voice. You groggily opened your eyes and saw him sitting on the bench next to you. "What did he say?" 

You turned to face Grimm and said, "He told me I was already keeping the balance just by holding the two powers at once."

"So you aren't going to have to become a god?" Grimm asked. 

"He said I kind of already was. He also said I could go home whenever I wanted to, now that I have the Radiance's power," you said with sadness. 

Grimm's voice was more cheerful than yours was. "(y/n) that's great! You've wanted to go home for a while, and now you can!" But, he noticed your expression. "You don't seem happy about that." 

"I am, it's just I want to be with you, Grimm. I love you so much but I also want to go home." You broke eye contact. "I'm just confused as to what I want." 

Grimm pulled your face up so you were making eye contact with him, revealing to him the tears in your eyes. He pulled you close, kissing you softly. You wrapped your arms around him as you kissed him deeply. Eventually, you two pulled away. 

"I love you more than anything, (y/n). Which is why I say that you go home. Try and live out a normal life, and while you're gone we'll rebuild. We'll make the Grimm Troupe as grand as it used to be." 

You had tears rolling down your cheeks as you said, "I don't want to leave you, or the troupe." 

Grimm wiped the tears off of your face, and smiled. "You're not leaving anybody. I'm sure you'll return, and when you do I'll be waiting for you." 

You smiled tearfully and looked into Grimm's eyes. "I love you, Grimm." 

"I love you too, (y/n)," he said back, pressing his forehead against yours. "Go, we'll wait for you." 

You kissed him once more before walking away, finding a bench to sit on. You began to focus, much like you did when traveling between realms. You focused on your dorm room, envisioning it in your head. You began to focus harder, straining yourself. You saw your body begin to glow, and you continued. You called on both powers at once to help you, and they did. You began to feel weightless, you felt like you were floating. Your vision faded into pure white, and you couldn't see anything anymore. 

~~~

Once your vision came back, you saw your dorm room. The sound of birds chirping and the wind blowing faded in to earshot, and you knew you were back home. You sat up in bed, and looked over in the corner to see your roommate, visibly frightened. 

"What the fuck was that?" he said, scared. "I thought you were dead!" 

You laughed. "How long was I away?" 

"F-four months... School's over." His voice was trembling. 

"Then why are you still here?" You asked your roommate. 

"I-I failed a class, so I'm taking again over the summer. How are you here? You just appeared out of nowhere?" 

"It's a long story," you said, standing up. "I'm gonna go out and then I'll be back later to pack up my stuff. See you later," you waved at your roommate and slightly laughed at his frightened expression. 

You walked down the street you hadn't been down for a long time. You waved and said hello to the people you passed. You had one person you wanted to find, and you knew where you could find her. 

~~~

You walked into the park, passing by various people. There was someone playing guitar on the ground with a tip cup, and you smiled at their look of confusion when you dropped some geo into their cup. As you continued walking, the smell of the saltwater was something you didn't realize you missed. As you continued, you saw someone sitting alone on a bench. She had brown hair and hazel eyes. 

You walked up behind them and said, "Hey, you." 

Hanna turned around and was surprised. "(y/n)? Oh my god, where were you?!" She quickly embraced you. You looked into her tearful eyes as she said. "I thought you up and died or something." 

You laughed and said, "I can't really explain where I've been, but I did miss you so much Hanna." 

"I missed you too, (y/n). One day, you just didn't show up to class. No one knew where you went, there were search parties and everything," she explained. "After a month, they gave up." 

"Well, I'm here now for as long as I can be."

"What does that mean? Are you going away again? Where to?" She was asking questions frantically. 

"You wouldn't believe me even if I told you." You chuckled. 

She looked at your outfit and asked, "What the hell are you wearing?" 

All you did was laugh before asking, "What time is it?" 

"Like noon or something. Wanna go get lunch?" She asked. 

"Sure, where to?" You asked.

"Pizza hut?" She asked, and you remembered that that was the last place you went before going to Hallownest.

"That sounds lovely." 

_WOOO the story is done! I'm so glad that I got so much support while writing this story, and I'm very thankful to those who are reading this. I wanted to thank Snow_Is_Random for inspiring me to start writing, and for being super helpful with providing feedback as the story went. If you haven't read her story **Nightmares** then (which I'm assuming you have) then go and read it right now. It's really good and was the inspiration for this story. (if you wanna talk to me then you can find me on her discord server, I'm pretty active there)_

_ALSO! Yes, there will be a sequel, so if you enjoyed this story, don't worry because I'm going to continue it._

_If you're also reading Those Who Weren't Hollow, I will update that as well, I just got sidetracked with this story._

_Thank you to everybody for reading this, and I hope you all have an amazing day._

_-Avocado (aka munch)_


	27. Epilogue

You were walking down the street by yourself, holding the groceries you had just purchased. You moved in with your mom after you came back to the human world, and it had been six months since you had returned from Hallownest. 

"Hey mom," you said as you walked in. "Anything interesting?" You asked, seeing she was watching the news. 

"No, not really. Just more of politicians being stupid," she said angrily.

"Well, what more can you expect?" You asked rhetorically. "I'm gonna video call with some of my friends." 

"Sounds good. Have fun, (y/n)." Your mother waved as you entered your room.

You walked in and set your stuff down on the floor before slumping down in your chair. You opened your laptop and almost immediately you were receiving a call from Hanna. You accepted the call and began talking with her and your old dorm roommate, Kellen. 

"Hey guys, how's it hangin'?" You asked. 

"Pretty good, yourself?" Hanna replied. 

"I'm doin' well, can't complain." 

"Any word from the Nightmare King?" Kellen asked. 

You had told Hanna and Kellen because you trusted them and because Kellen saw you use your powers to return home from Hallownest, so he knew you had them anyway. 

"Not yet, I'm still waiting," you said truthfully. "I miss Grimm a lot." 

"Just keep waiting, something's bound to turn up and you'll have a reason to go back," Hanna said with a smile. You had proven to Hanna of Hallownest's existence by showing her of your powers, and that was all you needed to do to convince her that your experience in Hallownest actually happened. 

The reason you three were talking on a video call was that you three lived in separate cities. You moved to San Fransisco with your mom, Kellen moved out to a small town in Illinois with his girlfriend, and Hanna was studying abroad and was currently in Italy.

You three talked well into the night, making all of you tired. Your mother had made you dinner and brought it in so that you could continue talking with your friends, which you were very thankful for. Hanna was the only one not tired since it was midday for her. You three eventually ended your conversation and you closed your laptop for the night. You struggled to find the energy to get up out of your desk chair and into your bed, but eventually, you did.

You fell asleep easily, seeing as you were incredibly tired. As you fell asleep, your vision was replaced with a red haze and you felt a tugging sensation on your chest.

~~~

You opened your eyes and saw you were in your room, but there was a red haze everywhere. You knew where you were. 

"Hello, (y/n)." You heard the Nightmare King and looked to see him in the corner of your room. 

"Hello, Nightmare King. What's going on?" You asked. "If you called me here then something must've come up, right?" 

"Yes, something has come up. It's bigger than The Radiance. It's bigger than the Nightmare Heart. Our entire world, Hallownest included, might collapse, and we need your help again." 

You narrowed your eyes and looked the Nightmare King dead in his eyes. "Whatever's happening, I'll take care of it." 

You began to focus, envisioning the kingdom of Hallownest. You pulled yourself there, and you felt a tugging sensation on your chest. Your vision was fading into pure white. 

All at once, you were back in Hallownest. You were in an empty room with stone flooring and pomegranate walls. As you stepped out, you took in the burning smell of the Grimm Troupe you had missed so dearly. You were lost in the tent, as it was a new tent altogether. You kept walking until someone stopped you by placing their hand on your shoulder. 

"(y/n)?" You heard Grimm's voice from behind you. 


End file.
